Mackenzie McKee Thrives After Losing Mom
- Reality star Mackenzie McKee, 26, of Teen Mom fame, lost her own mom, Angie Douthit, in 2019 following a battle with brain cancer.
- Douthit treated her stage four brain cancer with radiation and later opted for hospice care in the comfort of her home as she neared the end of her life.
- Losing a parent to cancer is a grief-filled process that takes time to move through; everyone’s coping process looks different. McKee has found ways to cope – even thrive – since her mom passed.
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Over the holidays, McKee posted a sweet picture of her with her mom. The holidays are often some of the toughest times when dealing with a loss.
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Brain Cancer Treatment
McKee’s mom underwent radiation to treat her brain cancer and later sought out hospice care towards the end of her life. Brain cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and in some cases, newer treatment options like Optune. Optune is a tumor-treating therapy and is only available for patients aged 22 or older. The treatment was approved by the FDA in 2015, and it’s administered by a cap being placed on a person’s head through which electric currents run through adhesive pads on the cap. The current interrupts the division of cancer cells, which may slow down or delay the disease’s progression.
Douthit shared her treatment journey on social media, and towards the end of her life, she was transparent about the difficulty she faced with stage four cancer. “Today was a little rough,” she wrote on Instagram. “Scans showed results that were not good. The cancer has grown in the liver and in the brain.”
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When cancer spreads – or “metastasizes” – to other parts of the body, as it did for Douthit, the treatment options may be more limited due to the cancer’s progression. She also shared, “There is also some hemorrhaging in the brain. I will have two more doses of radiation and that will be the last treatment I will be given. I should be able to go home in the next few days. We have decided to have the hospice come in when I go home for some extra care.”
Clearing Up Misconceptions About Palliative Care
Coping with Loss of a Parent to Cancer
Losing a parent to cancer is a devastating loss and can take years to overcome. McKee’s story is an inspiring one; following such a difficult loss, she has managed to still see the good in life, and press forward despite living with the hardship of grief.
Camila Legaspi also lost her mom to cancer, when she was only in high school. Legaspi’s mom passed away after a battle with breast cancer. In an earlier interview, Legaspi lauded therapy for the way it helped her through that difficult time. “Therapy saved my life. I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on.”
For her, therapy put things into perspective. “Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings. The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it’s going to be OK. No matter what happens, it’s going to be OK.”
“Therapy Saved My Life”: After Losing A Loved One, Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
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