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glioblastoma treatment

Footdoc
Footdoc CSN Member Posts: 13 Member
edited April 2023 in Brain Cancer #1

What was your treatment and what do you know of the side effects , results, experience patient or caregiver. please state patient age as I want to research this for my 75 yo mother.

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  • greatfulGBfighter
    greatfulGBfighter CSN Member Posts: 4 Member
    #2

    I was 49 when I got my diagnosis in 2014. Treatment plan was 6 weeks of Chemo (Temodar pill) and radiation. After that went into a "maintenance " phase requiring 400mg of Temodar daily, for a 5-day period every month, with monitoring of my blood platelet count monthly. The negative side effect of Temodar is you become a laxative junkie for a few days as the drug is effective, but also slows up the plumbing in one's body.

    This phase lasted for 5 years (normal period is one, two at a max. But my platelet counts were consistently good, so I told my med team "if it a'int broke don't fix it") Now I have an MRI every 6 months to maintain awareness.

    Negative side effects experienced were: (short- term) brain swelling due to the radiation, which accentuated the effects on me. Was prescribed steroids to mitigate the effects. (Long-term) blood clot developed in my left calve requiring me to take a low dose blood thinner (Eliquis) for the long term. Additionally, I take a low dose of an anti-seizure med (Keppra) twice daily.

    The biggest key to success for me was ATTITUDE. I was determined to not slip into a permanent "pity party" but follow the advice of my med team and take charge of fighting it. Not every day was/is a holiday, but I'm here, I'm up and about, and that's the way I'm living with it.

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