Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer Metastasis to Brain

Reece961
Reece961 Member Posts: 1
in Lung Cancer #1

Hello All,
My family is in the beginning stages of this and I would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience.

A little over a week ago, my mother (a VERY FIT 81-year old) exhibited stroke-like symptons while talking to a friend (she began speaking gibberish, etc.) She was rushed to the hospital and, upon further testing, was found to have a lesion in her brain at the joining of the temporal and occipital lobes. She has begun to hallucinate fairly regularly now, but she recognizes that she should not be seeing these things. She has headaches that are relieved by ibuprofen. A full body scan revealed two additional lesions in her lungs (one in each lung). The lung biopsy was inconclusive, but doctors are saying that it is 99.9% cancer, most likely lung cancer metastasis to the brain. She will now undergo a biopsy on the lesion in the brain and treatment options will be suggested from there. She has been told that if left untreated, she will lose facial recognition ability and long term memory within a few months.

I guess my question is this...has anyone experienced something even remotely similar? I mean, she had no real symptons before the incident with her friend a little over a week ago. Over the past year or so, my family has noticed that she's forgetful and repeats herself often, but we attributed that to her age. My mom is very active and takes great care of herself. I cannot express to you how physically fit she is; it is remarkable. I anticipate that the doctors will suggest a radiation treatment plan and we will go from there. But I am worried about the side effects and her prognosis, especially considering her age. Does anyone have any thoughts? Without sounding crass, I would like to state that I am a realist and have dealt with advanced stage cancer before. I would most appreciate a candid response about what to expect. Thanks for taking the time to read and (hopefully) respond.

Comments

  • Punkydudl
    Punkydudl Member Posts: 6
    #2
    Sorry to hear about your mom.

    Sorry to hear about your mom. My husband age 71 has metastatic lung cancer that had spread to the liver, spine, ribs and brain. He had about 12 or more radiation treatments to the brain. Unfortunately there will be side effects if she had radiation. They usually give steroids to keep the brain from swelling during treatments. There may be dizziness, memory problems, etc. My husband was in good health & working and this hit like a ton of bricks. I wish you all the best. Hope this helps somewhat. Feel free to contact me if I can be of further help.

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