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amanda77
New User
Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:23 pm Post subject: My mum has GBM4 and has refused treatment |
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My mum who is 62 years old was diagnosed in June 2007 with a GBM Grade 4 Malignant Brain Tumour. She underwent her first surgery on the 19th June 2007 and the consultant who operated was quite happy with how she got on, he also mentioned that in 7 years none of his patients had picked up any infections. Well guess what? My mum did, she had an abcess on her Brain which caused her to have Brain Surgery again within 2 and a half weeks from the first surgery. Due to this she lost the power in her right hand and is very weak on this side also.
I think after all of this and because originally in November 2006 she had collapsed at work they said she had a Stroke which was followed by a heart attack and she was on a ventilator for a week. Back then it was a stroke and they were treating her for that. Then in June 2007 (7 months later) they decided to say oh no its is a GBM 4 and obviously they had mis-diagnosed her or as they say the signs of a stroke and tumour are the same.
I think because this has been going on for so long she gave up and when Radiotheraphy was mentioned she decided not to go for it.
It is so hard watching her go through this, I just got married at the end of August 2007 and celebrated my 30th Birthday last week with her. She is a changed person. No smiles, depressed, very angry and agitated. I have returned home to care for her and my dad is going to return to work. I just want to know if anyone has had the same issue were a loved one refused treatment and if so how are things developing.
Amanda (IRELAND). |
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brainman
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 5983
Location: Tennessee
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:13 am Post subject: Re: My mum has GBM4 and has refused treatment |
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Amanda, I am very sorry to hear about your mother's miss-diagnosis and now GBM IV. My mother died 9 years ago of a GBM. Treatment choices are extremely personal. My mother opted not to have any type of treatment and died within 2 months of the diagnosis. But by the time she had any symptoms, the cancer and grown so large that it was causing a mid-line shift. I do not know how big your mother's cancer is, but since they have already done surgery twice, I can fully sympathize with her choice not to have any further treatments.
The other major difference between your mother and my mother is that my mother did not experience any personality changes. She had a great sense of humor all the way to the end. She was also older than your mother and all of her children were older than you. I think she was ready. I know I am not ready like she was.
I too has a history of brain cancer... not a grade IV but a grade III glioma. If or when it returns, it will probably be a grade IV and I do not know what treatment choice I will make at that time but I think I will choose no further treatment. I have been through chemo, surgery, and radiation. Chemotherapy sucks; surgery may cause me to loss total right sided function (the cancer and surgery have already affected that side); and I have already had all the radiation they can give to that area. At times I too am depressed, feel angry, and am agitated. Those are rather normal companions of serious illness in general and cancer in specific. Make sure her medical team knows about her depression. They may recommend an anti-depressant that will help her cope.
You are doing a brave thing in terms of going home to care for your parents. Fortunately, I was able to do the same for my parents. It was not always easy but I would not go back and do anything differently.
I will keep you and your mother in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
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Carmella
Regular
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:56 am Post subject: Re: My mum has GBM4 and has refused treatment |
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Dear Amanda
Im so sorry to hear about your mum. She is the same age as my mother in law who also has a malignant brain tumour.
She is lucky to have you and your dad to care for her and it is great that you are able to be at home for her. It is extremely hard on you as a carer though, are you getting support from palliative care nurses. They have been fantastic for my inlaws. Are you going to hospital appointments with her, have you asked the doctors if more can be done to relieve her symptoms, for example increasing steroid dosage or antidepressants?
I can understand you find it hard that she has refused treatment, and to never know whether the radiotherapy would have made a difference. Please dont think that its a certainty that it would have helped though.
Everyone is different but my mother in law has never got back to how she was before the radiotherapy. The side-effects (extreme fatigue etc) has almost certainly outweighed any benefit it may have provided as we know that the tumour is now growing back elsewhere. She is currently having chemo but i suspect it is not making a difference. The most that the post-surgery treatment has given her is a few extra months and her quality of life now is not great. So I can understand why your mum would not want to be put through all of that. |
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brainman
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 5983
Location: Tennessee
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