Hi Vsinnema,
I am so sorry to hear the news of your mother’s passing. This must be very hard to accept given how quickly she succumbed to the cancer. Please accept my condolences and prayers.
Regretfully, because cholangiocarcinoma can be fairly symptom-less until it is very advanced, patients like your mother may be further advanced than appearances would suggest. Some patients are discovered to have cholangiocarcinoma at a point where it is too late for treatment, even though the diagnosis is unexpected. Your frustration at not getting a better diagnosis is very understandable. I know you were doing all you could to get good medical advice and keep her comfortable. With the cancer apparently very far along and your mother’s poor health, there may not have been much more that doctors could have done for her.
Not having a doctor’s assessment of how long she had remaining was a concern you had raised. My impression from reading many patient stories is that there is not a good way to estimate with precision how long a patient will survive, so it may not have been possible for a doctor to give an accurate prognosis.
Your loving care and concern for her well-being surely brought your mother much comfort as she faced this difficult challenge to her health.
Best wishes to you and your family. Regards, Mary