grade 4 glioma

micgrace
micgrace Member Posts: 131
edited May 2011 in Brain Cancer #1
Hi all. I am new here and this is a club I did not want to join, but my wife is diagnosed with stage 3 glioma and is to shortly receive surgery to tame the beast a bit prior to chemo and radiation. I don't know how long she may have, but she is extremely healthy in all other ways and is a relatively young 42. If anyone has survived past 2 years and gained back use of cognitive functions and motor skills (its in the left parietal lobe and crosses into the right hemisphere) I would love to hear from you. I need a bit of cheering up.

It is estimated about 70% can be removed. Whether that is a good amount, I have no idea. I also have a BSc in chemistry and ironically was conducting research on thermal cancer treatment materials. ie fire laser or radiation at cancer cells that have have adsorbed gold coated nanoparticles. I might add the results are spectacular but its very early days and no use to my wife.

I edited the title. The dx has been "upgraded" to a IV. a glioblastoma. (downgraded would be much better) It appears the majority was removed as it was clearly defined, but pressing into the ventral. She has deterioated somewhat, but that is par for the course.
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Comments

  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #2
    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.
  • Beckymarie
    Beckymarie Member Posts: 357
    #3
    micgrace said:

    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.

    I wish you the best of luck
    I wish you the best of luck and hope the news is positivie. This is a very difficult disease. You and your wife are in my thoughts.
  • hope4GBM
    hope4GBM Member Posts: 7
    #4
    micgrace said:

    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.

    Thinking of you-micgrace
    My husband is 7 months out of GBM-4. My prayers and thoughts go out to you and your wife.
    It's tough, I'm struggling each day. I don't know either where this will go but the love that we have will get us through whatever tomorrow will bring. Iam blessed to have found such a wonderful person to share my life with(married 35 years). We just do the best we can and learn as much as possible about all of this. Our future is in God's hands - it always has been.
    Hang in there- take care of yourself!
  • gapwash
    gapwash Member Posts: 3
    #5
    A friend of my sister's had a glioma, he had his 2nd surgery at Duke (http://www.cancer.duke.edu/btc/modules/ClinicalTrials4/index.php?id=2) with Dr. Friedman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1Z8yMxSf5E&feature=related I hope this helps. I have been doing all type of research to try to help them... there is hope! The latest thing I found was this French doctor... his name is Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, I recommend you watch the whole video, I bought the book, I am impressed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaDt3AJQ98c&feature=related

    We have more control than we know!

    I hope some of this information cheers you up!
  • sadinholland
    sadinholland Member Posts: 248
    #6
    micgrace said:

    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.

    Olio glioma grade 3
    My husband had surgery on July 16,2010 and is doing well. My prayers go out to you and your family.
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #7
    micgrace said:

    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.

    operation day
    Hi all the resection has been done. She woke up and was alert and was able to move her right side rather well and could recognise things better than before the op. No further info is available at this time. It was over 6 hours long. A long time to wait.
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #8
    micgrace said:

    operation day
    Hi all the resection has been done. She woke up and was alert and was able to move her right side rather well and could recognise things better than before the op. No further info is available at this time. It was over 6 hours long. A long time to wait.

    wifes condition
    She had a bad time of post op recovery and had to be knocked out to stay put, ie was bashing her head against the bed, but does appear she is more alert today. Of course she needs to regain her strength for the oncoming radiation and chemo. Again I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #9
    micgrace said:

    wifes condition
    She had a bad time of post op recovery and had to be knocked out to stay put, ie was bashing her head against the bed, but does appear she is more alert today. Of course she needs to regain her strength for the oncoming radiation and chemo. Again I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

    worst enemy
    Hope things are going better each day for your wife. This is the worst. Everyday I wake up and for second forget. And then the day starts again. I have never felt so sad and lost in my life. My sister is my best friend with this thinin her brain that has changed our lives forever.Holding onto the littlest thread of hope in this. Watching our father age by years in a few short months.
    My sister is in the hospital from sepsis. Someone didnt clean the port well enough and causes a big time infection. Today the counts are up she is no longer neutropenic. Hoping that she will be able to go home in a day or two. And start the temador up again on time or close to it anyway. Praying that this monster in her brain has been killed off by the treatments she had. Thank you for all of you that share your lifes and stories on here, to the people that really and truely understand how we feel. People mean well but they really dont understand...
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #10
    gapwash said:

    A friend of my sister's had a glioma, he had his 2nd surgery at Duke (http://www.cancer.duke.edu/btc/modules/ClinicalTrials4/index.php?id=2) with Dr. Friedman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1Z8yMxSf5E&feature=related I hope this helps. I have been doing all type of research to try to help them... there is hope! The latest thing I found was this French doctor... his name is Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, I recommend you watch the whole video, I bought the book, I am impressed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaDt3AJQ98c&feature=related

    We have more control than we know!

    I hope some of this information cheers you up!

    moving to ward
    My wife is ready to be moved from icu to a normal ward. She can communicate now. Now to regain her strength for the chemo and radiation treatments. The part I hate most about this disease it seemingly comes from nowhere, it almost incurable and so fast growing. And it attacks the brain. The last thing I expected is to have to go through this nightmare. Those who haven't experienced it will never know.
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #11
    micgrace said:

    moving to ward
    My wife is ready to be moved from icu to a normal ward. She can communicate now. Now to regain her strength for the chemo and radiation treatments. The part I hate most about this disease it seemingly comes from nowhere, it almost incurable and so fast growing. And it attacks the brain. The last thing I expected is to have to go through this nightmare. Those who haven't experienced it will never know.

    nightmare
    Glad to here your wife is doing better. I know it doesnt help, but I know your nightmare I have been stuck in it since Feb 22. I just want to WAKE UP!!!
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #12
    micgrace said:

    moving to ward
    My wife is ready to be moved from icu to a normal ward. She can communicate now. Now to regain her strength for the chemo and radiation treatments. The part I hate most about this disease it seemingly comes from nowhere, it almost incurable and so fast growing. And it attacks the brain. The last thing I expected is to have to go through this nightmare. Those who haven't experienced it will never know.

    chemo shortly
    I have been formed by a round about way the person responsible for chemo did the rounds of the ward this morning. I suspect the chemo isn't far off. That I will see about tomorrow.
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #13
    micgrace said:

    chemo shortly
    I have been formed by a round about way the person responsible for chemo did the rounds of the ward this morning. I suspect the chemo isn't far off. That I will see about tomorrow.

    chemo
    Hope everything goes well. What kind of chemo is she going to get?
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #14
    4theloveofmysis said:

    chemo
    Hope everything goes well. What kind of chemo is she going to get?

    shunt op
    Not sure of the chemo. However tonight she is to have a shunt placed as the pressure in her brain refuses to reduce as the ventral region was closed off by the tumor. Her condition is now listed as terminal, which I sincerely hope such is not the case. It is a real rollercoaster ride with one thing after the other.

    I spoke with the oncologist and they do wish to start rad in about 2-3 weeks depending on her score which isn't great at the moment.
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #15
    micgrace said:

    shunt op
    Not sure of the chemo. However tonight she is to have a shunt placed as the pressure in her brain refuses to reduce as the ventral region was closed off by the tumor. Her condition is now listed as terminal, which I sincerely hope such is not the case. It is a real rollercoaster ride with one thing after the other.

    I spoke with the oncologist and they do wish to start rad in about 2-3 weeks depending on her score which isn't great at the moment.

    shunt
    so sorry, praying for her...
  • Beckymarie
    Beckymarie Member Posts: 357
    #16
    micgrace said:

    moving to ward
    My wife is ready to be moved from icu to a normal ward. She can communicate now. Now to regain her strength for the chemo and radiation treatments. The part I hate most about this disease it seemingly comes from nowhere, it almost incurable and so fast growing. And it attacks the brain. The last thing I expected is to have to go through this nightmare. Those who haven't experienced it will never know.

    A unique experience
    Dealing with brain cancer is a unique experience and I don't mean that in a good sense. It is a day-to-day and sometimes a hour-to-hour roller coaster ride. Having gone through this horrible cancer with my husband, I think of you all always and keep you in my thoughts.
    Becky
  • RLR
    RLR Member Posts: 36
    #17
    micgrace said:

    tomorrow is resection day
    Hi all. My wife is scheduled for a resection on the tumor tomorrow. We are all waiting for some positive news that all can be OK. So I am on tenterhooks now.

    tommor is resection day
    Good luck with the surgery. I had sergery Jan 13 of 2009 and have been doing relitivily well ever since that time. I had the usual 6 weeks radiation and have been on Temadar every since. I can drive, walk and do just about everything I could before. Fatigue and memory loss are a big problem but I can live with that.
    Have Faith and don't give up Hope and stay positive
    God Bless you
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #18
    4theloveofmysis said:

    shunt
    so sorry, praying for her...

    shunt sucess
    Hi all the shunt worked well. The fluid draining away is clear with little trace of protein but is fairly thick. No evidence of uncontrolled growth from the tumor, which is significant. She was suffering numerous seizures prior to the op, but none after. Hopefully have better news to report soon. I
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #19
    micgrace said:

    shunt sucess
    Hi all the shunt worked well. The fluid draining away is clear with little trace of protein but is fairly thick. No evidence of uncontrolled growth from the tumor, which is significant. She was suffering numerous seizures prior to the op, but none after. Hopefully have better news to report soon. I

    shunt
    So good to hear...
  • micgrace
    micgrace Member Posts: 131
    #20
    micgrace said:

    shunt sucess
    Hi all the shunt worked well. The fluid draining away is clear with little trace of protein but is fairly thick. No evidence of uncontrolled growth from the tumor, which is significant. She was suffering numerous seizures prior to the op, but none after. Hopefully have better news to report soon. I

    update on shunt
    Hi all, seen my wife. Talking very little but very aware. She had another MRI and everything is working. Even her rhs arm which was completely dead can move. However she is running quite a temp and that is of concern at the moment.
  • 4theloveofmysis
    4theloveofmysis Member Posts: 248
    #21
    micgrace said:

    update on shunt
    Hi all, seen my wife. Talking very little but very aware. She had another MRI and everything is working. Even her rhs arm which was completely dead can move. However she is running quite a temp and that is of concern at the moment.

    temp
    Hope they are watching her Lactic acid its a lab test to check for sepsis. Ask them if they ran one. If they have not ask them to check it. Just went through sepsis with my sister and Im a nurse. How high is the temp?

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