My Mom has had Glioblastoma Multiforme for 4 months. Can anyone tell me what to !
Question: My husband died from a Glioblastoma brain tumour 10 yrs ago. When he was diagnosed mid January, he was told he wouldn't see Valentines Day but he lived for 22 months.
His was located in the speech control centre in the parietal lobe so they could not operate. We went through 6 weeks of radiation 5 x/week and then did 6 rounds of Chemotherapy. He had MRI's done every 6 weeks.
He was put on Dexamethazone which is a steroid to reduce swelling and inflammation around the tumour. This medication can also raise blood sugar levels and make the person diabetic.
When Glioblastomas are in an active growth period they can double their size in 10 days. They are unlike other types of tumors in that they are not encapsulated but grow like a cobweb throughout the brain.
He had petit mal seizures so was also put on seizure medication.
His tumour was on the left side of his brain so it affected his speech and the right side of his body......almost like a stroke victim.
He never had any pain but did say that sometimes he felt a tightness......like wearing a baseball cap that was too tight.
Other than some physical disabilities that developed during the course of his illness, he remained healthy and well.
Unfortunately, with this type of tumour, there is no cure and death is inevitable. It will not spread to other parts of the body..........it starts in the brain and ends in the brain.
Depending where the tumour is located, as it progresses you could see personality changes.......anger and aggression is quite common....please remember that this is part of the disease process.....don't take things they might say or do personally (although it can be very difficult and challenging at times)
On the Friday of the weekend he died.......he went for a 2 mile walk in the morning, swam in the pool in the afternoon (had to wear a lifejacket in case he seizured in the water), had a big dinner and went to bed. During the night he slipped into a coma and he died Sunday afternoon. It was peaceful and pain free and for that I'm very thankful. I was able to keep him at home until he died which was a real blessing for him and our entire family.
If you would like to keep my details, I'm more than happy to chat with you if you have questions, concerns or just need someone to talk to.
I've always said if you have to have a terminal illness that this is the one to have....it doesn't ravage your body like some cancers do.
Just keep loving her and treasure every day you have with her.
Answers: My husband died from a Glioblastoma brain tumour 10 yrs ago. When he was diagnosed mid January, he was told he wouldn't see Valentines Day but he lived for 22 months.
His was located in the speech control centre in the parietal lobe so they could not operate. We went through 6 weeks of radiation 5 x/week and then did 6 rounds of Chemotherapy. He had MRI's done every 6 weeks.
He was put on Dexamethazone which is a steroid to reduce swelling and inflammation around the tumour. This medication can also raise blood sugar levels and make the person diabetic.
When Glioblastomas are in an active growth period they can double their size in 10 days. They are unlike other types of tumors in that they are not encapsulated but grow like a cobweb throughout the brain.
He had petit mal seizures so was also put on seizure medication.
His tumour was on the left side of his brain so it affected his speech and the right side of his body......almost like a stroke victim.
He never had any pain but did say that sometimes he felt a tightness......like wearing a baseball cap that was too tight.
Other than some physical disabilities that developed during the course of his illness, he remained healthy and well.
Unfortunately, with this type of tumour, there is no cure and death is inevitable. It will not spread to other parts of the body..........it starts in the brain and ends in the brain.
Depending where the tumour is located, as it progresses you could see personality changes.......anger and aggression is quite common....please remember that this is part of the disease process.....don't take things they might say or do personally (although it can be very difficult and challenging at times)
On the Friday of the weekend he died.......he went for a 2 mile walk in the morning, swam in the pool in the afternoon (had to wear a lifejacket in case he seizured in the water), had a big dinner and went to bed. During the night he slipped into a coma and he died Sunday afternoon. It was peaceful and pain free and for that I'm very thankful. I was able to keep him at home until he died which was a real blessing for him and our entire family.
If you would like to keep my details, I'm more than happy to chat with you if you have questions, concerns or just need someone to talk to.
I've always said if you have to have a terminal illness that this is the one to have....it doesn't ravage your body like some cancers do.
Just keep loving her and treasure every day you have with her.
I'm very sorry Gertie but glioblastoma is one of the nastier, more aggressive brain tumours. Very few people last longer than three years with current therapy. You really need to get yourself some social/emotional support to help you deal with this.
I wish you had mentioned what treatments your mom has had. As you know glios are a tough diagnosis and often very aggressive. I do not know how far along your mom is as far as disease progression but most people with Glioblastoma Multiforme last less than a year. My friend lasted about six months. For some people the Cyberknife surgery is helpful but often the tumor quickly returns. Here are some web pages that might be helpful.
all the best to you and your mom
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2692.h...
http://www.rockymountainck.org/treatment...
http://www.temodar.com/temodar/applicati...