If you find that you, your family, or friends have been diagnosed with glioblastoma (gbm) recently, you probably "What happens?" Of course, this will compete in your mind It is just one of many ideas. How do I know this? Because he was with my brother when he was diagnosed.
He did not survive, but he was able to take treatment with his family for six years before he succumbed to gbm.
After experiencing a seizure in 1994, we found this tumor. He stayed home alone with three children (6 years old, 2 years old, 1 year old). His 6 - year - old child ran to his neighbor and told his father something was wrong. After examining at the hospital, he turned out to have a tumor. The doctor said that it is necessary to put "hatch" on my brother's skull so that the tumor can be removed, but the procedure can be repeated frequently. Why would they repeat this procedure? Removal of the tumor means taking out a small part of the tumor at once, so as it comes back, the doctor invades the brains of my brother again and takes a little more tumor.
I am not satisfied with it!
I did the best thing and studied everything I could find out. I contacted a medical contact to find the name of the best doctor near us. My brother and I went to NYC and consulted with a neurologist at Park Avenue. Obviously, he was well abandoned for understanding of brain tumor. At the end of the visit, he took months only to survive, so my brother recommended to get his work in turn. He told that the tumor is cancerous and the operation does not solve the problem.
My mother 's friend had a nephew who was a neurologist in Boston. I sent brother MRI, X-ray, inspection results to him. He called soon and said the Boston neurosurgeon could help my brother. We made an appointment and met a doctor. What are the differences?
This doctor explained everything very clearly. Although he offered hope, there was no promise of perfect life.
So what happens next?
My older brother, Kim, was scheduled for surgery. First, he had to go through a series of MRI (Fast MRI) which provided the doctor with information to create a 3D image of my brother's brain so that he could prepare for surgery. During surgery, Kim had to wake up and allow the doctor to question. Since Kim had to identify the picture and the words and answered the question by surgery, the doctor was able to judge whether he was cutting out the tissue which is too close to the functional area of the brain.
A small amount of hair did not get in the way, so he scraped his entire head. In the rest of the head there was a scar depicted by a 2 - year - old daughter like a baseball. (I'm sure she was pointing to the ball stitch - Kim 's skull had similar stitches). To the risk of this operation,
- Infectious diseases: Patients may have defects of infection due to wound infection or exposure in hospitals
- Bleeding: This may be a privileged contusion or a blood sampling of a deer
- If the doctor uses the frontal approach to remove the tumor, the odor leaking through the nose or loss of cerebrospinal fluid
- Cranial nerve damage resulting in facial paralysis, loss of vision, or double vision
- Necessity of transfusion during or after treatment
- Weakness, numbness, speech disorder or paralysis (symptoms such as stroke)
- You may need epilepsy, medicine (this happened to my brothers)
- Surgery may not cure this condition and may require further treatment
- Coma or death
This was only the beginning, but with that surgery Kim was with a child of six years. At that time, he performed aggressive radiation therapy twice a week, chemotherapy with a combination of IV and drugs. He was very sick from treatment (vomiting, nausea, fatigue), but he continued his work. Neither was an easy task. He was a floor Thunder and lifted the 300 pound machine with several stairs. During about three years after resection, he remembered an incredible headache during one of these climbers. This was the worst thing he experienced.
The local emergency room revealed that he suffered from a cerebral aneurysm. This is when the weak part of the artery supplying blood to the brain swells. However, rupture of one of these aneurysms can cause cerebral hemorrhage, leading to brain damage and death. The doctor explained that the only reason my brother did not die of this bleeding was because he had left a cavity or hole in the brain where tumor resection could accumulate blood. He further explained that the reason why the artery was weakened is from radiation.
It took me months to heal from this. But when he was healed, he returned to work and raised only three children. This is the time when things really start falling downhill for him. The doctor administers steroids at high doses to alleviate swelling and administered to Depakote to prevent epileptic seizures.
These were some of the side effects he endured:
- Insomnia
- Increased appetite and possible weight gain
- Changes in personality (from mood to psychosis)
- Muscle loss (especially rising, thigh supporting patient's weight when sitting and walking)
- Abdomen fullness of breath (inflated abdomen, cushing sod, waving face, occasionally lump of neck)
- Pool of extremity fluids
- Possibility of steroid-induced diabetes
Unfortunately my younger brother did He developed diabetes and received insulin injection and blood sugar test several times a day. That is one of my jobs. He was a very exercise and lively person (for example, he got a lobster pot (200 pot) as a hobby before 4 p.m. in the morning, polished the floor all day and refurbished, after working, his touring Or mountain bike 20 to 30 miles, and lastly he cleans the house and takes care of 3 children). He really struggled to sit and get about 100 pounds.
He was fine - but he was late, unadjusted, and his speech distorted. He had MRI every three years for two years, then every six months thereafter during the next four years. Kim's speech worsened further in the autumn of 2000, a few months after MRI that was scheduled regularly, and I began. We went to the hospital and what they said to us broke us.
The tumor was not only returned but also the worst type of tumor, the fastest growing and inoperable. The tumor grew suddenly as it fell into the brain.
Kim lost the ability to walk rapidly, to speak, to feed himself or to use the toilet. He lost all dignity at this point. He gave bait and had to wear a diaper and was on the bed. He survived like this for about six months. He does not want to give up independence, so he tries to walk but falls to the floor. He was 6 & 2, 160 pounds before cancer; after all medication, treatment, and sitting lifestyle, he was still 6 & # 2; 2, he was 260 pounds. It was difficult to meet him, in fact it was impossible. My parents were in their 70s and he tried to welcome him. Our three people have returned to bed many times. It was tiring, but it was absolutely miserable.
Kim stayed at my house till I die. Just sitting down with my brother, reading, talking and talking will never forget the volunteers who came home. Their willingness to service protected us from feeling by themselves and gave us the opportunity to go to the store without worrying.
The hospice came to the end and monitored him. He did not communicate well. His breathing was very labor-intensive, he was rarely clear, he felt pain. The hospice worker administered morphine to treat the pain and stopped fighting to live on March 16, 2001 exactly one day later. He was 49 years old.
I hope this information will help one person understand what the family who is dealing with gbm diagnosis may be experiencing.
