glioblastama multiforme?

Question

would like to hear from anybody who is going through this.My mum has been would like to talk to anybody in the same situation

Answer 1

I'm so sorry to hear this! Writing this, I feel like the doctor may have felt when he told the family what my father had. This is hard to write, but my dad had this very thing and he died from it. The prognosis is almost always 100% fatal. It has a very rapid "recurrence" rate, even with several medical advances (such as delivery of chemo through a "wafer" in the brain). Even so, the life expectancy is only increased by a couple years at best and the disease is considered fatal; it's just a matter of how much time the patient will get.

According to an article in Medscape: "Despite advances in imaging techniques and multi-modal treatment options, the overall prognosis of patients with GBM remains grim. The median duration of patient survival is estimated to be between 12 and 18 months with maximal treatment, but those without any intervention die soon after diagnosis.[23,46] To date, very few cases of curative outcome or long-term survival have been reported.[55,58,72] In a large retrospective study, Scott, et al.,[58] estimated that 2.2% of the cohort survived for more than 2 years. Overall, the 5-year survival rate is less than 10%, with a final mortality rate of close to 100%.[24,38]" (1)

My dad's tumour was diagnosed in September and he died in February, 2 days after his 64th birthday. He had had symptoms well before the diagnosis (through a CT scan), though. They were: confusion, memory loss, spatial relations problems (depth perception, etc., ) depression and weight loss.

It was a horrible blow, when they told us what he had. I went right the medical library in the hospital and looked it up. I decided right then that I would prepare myself for his death. I allowed myself to cry and share my sadness with others, and went into short-term therapy to deal with it. My mom and siblings did NOT, thinking there was some magical "cure", and they suffered from his loss far more than I did, I think, since they couldn't accept it, even though he and I were the closest in the family.

My advice is to prepare yourself, get some counseling and other support and let yourself grieve, even now. It won't be easy to see your mom go through this and you should try to be an "advocate" for her, while she's hospitalized, making sure she gets proper care.

Doctors and nurses may be professionally excellent, but many are NOT equipped to deal with people. You need to insist that your mom be kept comfortable and warm and try bringing in music she likes (when she gets to where she can't talk, she can probably still hear!). Make sure secondary problems (like infections) are dealt with and her pain managed.

Also, take time off for yourself, to heal. You may not feel it's "right", but it will help you AND your mom! You won't be so worn out.

The second site below (thecancerblog.com)(2) is a blog for families of cancer patients and has a touching letter from a young man with this disease. The thing I kept focusing on was that my dad knew he was loved, right up 'til the end, and that when he was gone, his suffering was over.

The third site (virtualtrials.com)(3), lists several links for treatments for glioblastoma, but I offer it only as information, not to get your hopes up of a cure anytime soon. It DOES help to be well-informed when the doctors start rattling off medical terms and you need to decide what to do.

For instance, my dad went all the way to Johns Hopkins University Med School to have surgery...and for what? It didn't help at all...only prolonged his life a few weeks and his suffering. I'm not telling you what to do, just sharing that with you.

If you need any more information, or just someone to talk to, please e-mail me through this site and I will send you my direct e-mail address. My thoughts go out to you!

Answer 2

Im sorry to hear that. As stated previously it is a brain tumour. Sometimes the tumour can be cut away and she may receive radiotheraphy or chemotheraphy. This all depends on the size and location of the tumour. I nursed a patient last year and the first symptom she suffered was confusion and slurred speech. She also suffered nausea and headaches. There may be support groups in your area. It is always good to talk with others who are or have experienced the same condition as they will explain procedures and treatment in a simple and clear way, staying away from medical jargon which is too difficult to understand and process. Ask the doctor to explain it fully and ask for literature. Take care and I hope you find support

Answer 3

perchance, seem right into a scientific trial. some wonderful ones i'm attentive to: a million) Vaccine scientific care using ones very own tumor. Dr. Samuel Hassenbusch, a neurosurgeon at MD Anderson, is treating his very own GBM with a hybrid attitude using this scientific care. so far, he has been in remission for over 2 years. He keeps a blog which he seems tremendously attentive to questions. 2) Avastin and Camptosar scientific care by potential of Dr. Henry Friedman at Duke college. 3) Experimental anti-angiogenesis drug ZD6474 by potential of Dr. Howard high-quality on the nationwide maximum cancers Institute.

Answer 4

Music enables you to eat more. According to a work by the journal Psychology in addition to Marketing, soft, classical tunes encourage you to take time over your meal, so you consume more foodstuff. So, switch off – silence is likely to make you more aware of what you’re adding your mouth.

Answer 5

Set performance-based goals. Always set yourself incrementally larger goals each week to make sure you’re engaged and have something to shoot for. Each little achievement is also an incentive that you’re going in the right direction. From doing 10 more squats to mastering the latest yoga pose, whatever floats the boat.

Answer 6

I am not in the same situation, but I do know what it is. The adult form of a brain tumor called an astrocytoma. What are the doctors saying is her prognosis? I'll be praying for her!

Answer 7

You don’t need to exercise for hours on end. Short, sharp sets of exercise will produce better results in case you work hard. Get a omitting rope, skip for two moments, do push ups for 1 minute, skip for two minutes, rest for just one minute. Then change the push up to something else like sit ups along with do the set again. Repeat it five times and it’s an instant, effective workout that will improve results than a long work or swim.

Answer 8

Don’t count calories after consume. Check the calories before you dive in and you will find it puts you down that extra chocolate chip candy bar.

Answer 9

It’s definitely not weight-loss, it’s health-gain. Think about your changes so that you can gain things, not lose them.