Is it possible to recover from left-side weakness?

mom_in_CT
mom_in_CT Member Posts: 19
My 28-year-old daughter is being treated for a second recurrence of a grade III mixed glioma. In January, she rapidly developed left-side weakness. She has a brace for her ankle to prevent it from giving out on her, walks with a cane, has very limited use of her arm/hand, and has no peripheral vision in her left eye.

She had surgery in 2000 followed by 9 months of Temodor, 6 weeks of radiation, and is now on Avastin (bi-weekly) and Lomustine (every 6 weeks).

She has been going for physical and occupational therapy. We have seen some small improvements, but they are not consistent.

Does anyone know if it is really possible to regain the use of the left side once this happens? (Her NO did not even recommend that she go for therapy.)

Comments

  • ncgrl84
    ncgrl84 Member Posts: 14
    weakness
    My mom is also having left sided weakness. My mom was diagnosed with GBM4 in April and it's inoperable. The doctor explain that the weakness could be a side-effect from the inflammation in the brain, or possible brain damage from the tumor. If it was brain damage, it is not reversible. If it was from inflammation, he said it would reverse itself when it went down. I hope this helps.
  • kate2kate
    kate2kate Member Posts: 19
    ncgrl84 said:

    weakness
    My mom is also having left sided weakness. My mom was diagnosed with GBM4 in April and it's inoperable. The doctor explain that the weakness could be a side-effect from the inflammation in the brain, or possible brain damage from the tumor. If it was brain damage, it is not reversible. If it was from inflammation, he said it would reverse itself when it went down. I hope this helps.

    Hi,
    I do not know much about

    Hi,

    I do not know much about weakness but I saw your CT in your name and was wondering if your are from Connecticut. My husband has a GBM IV. DXed Nov 2011. He has gone through 6 weeks of radiation and temodar and he is now on 5/23 of temodar.

    I wish your daughter and family all the best and will be thinking about you.

    Katie
  • granddaughterofGBM4
    granddaughterofGBM4 Member Posts: 2
    Our experience
    Left sided weakness is the symptom that sent my grandmother in when she was diagnosed with the Glioblastoma. Like another said, if it is due to the inflammation around the tumor or the actual pressure from the tumor---once resolved, the symptoms should subside. My grandmother had surgery and immediately her left sided weakness was gone upon waking from surgery.
    Hoping your daughters symptoms improve.
  • mom_in_CT
    mom_in_CT Member Posts: 19
    kate2kate said:

    Hi,
    I do not know much about

    Hi,

    I do not know much about weakness but I saw your CT in your name and was wondering if your are from Connecticut. My husband has a GBM IV. DXed Nov 2011. He has gone through 6 weeks of radiation and temodar and he is now on 5/23 of temodar.

    I wish your daughter and family all the best and will be thinking about you.

    Katie

    Connecticut
    Hi Katie:

    Yes, we live in CT. I'm sorry about your husband's diagnosis.

    Kim's left side weakness was caused by tumor growth.
  • kate2kate
    kate2kate Member Posts: 19
    mom_in_CT said:

    Connecticut
    Hi Katie:

    Yes, we live in CT. I'm sorry about your husband's diagnosis.

    Kim's left side weakness was caused by tumor growth.

    I really hope that your
    I really hope that your daughters weakness is reversable. My husband is being treated at Yale we got a second opinion from dr. Gutin at Slone Kettering. We live in the Waterbury area.

    If you ever want to talk let me know.

    Katie
  • mom_in_CT
    mom_in_CT Member Posts: 19
    kate2kate said:

    I really hope that your
    I really hope that your daughters weakness is reversable. My husband is being treated at Yale we got a second opinion from dr. Gutin at Slone Kettering. We live in the Waterbury area.

    If you ever want to talk let me know.

    Katie

    Yale
    Hi Katie:

    My daughter is also being treated by Dr. Baehring at the Smilow Cancer Center @ Yale. I just re-read my original post -- she had surgery in 2009 -- not 2000.

    We went to Dana Farber last spring for a second opinion.

    Debbie