Need help! Olfactory neuroblastoma

JoeG316
JoeG316 Member Posts: 1
edited February 2018 in Rare and Other Cancers #1

my Mom found out not to long ago that she has olfactory neuroblastoma  it started by loosing her sense of smell and taste slightly, they then found pollups in her nose wich they did surgery on and got out but they also found the tumor at base of the skull. So she went in for surgery last Wednesday 6 days ago (valentines day) when I went to see her two days after her surgery she was extremly swollen in the face, they oroginally were going to do non invasive surgery through the nose but she had to sign something saying they could go through the skull if they couldn’t get it out wich is what happened they went through the skull. we were told the surgery went good and they got it all out. NOW the reason I’m posting..she has been EXTREMELT incoherent she doesn’t remember who visited her she questions wich hospital she is at she isnt herself at all she keeps saying get me out of here wanting to leave when she’s in terrible condition..now Im thinking this could be the morphine and the fact she only has been drinking water she refuses to eat..I’m hoping that’s it but I want to know from others if it’s normal to be incoherent almost a week after surgery or if this can be somthing serious I’m terrified she just isn’t acting the same at all

Comments

  • CatPerson
    CatPerson Member Posts: 9
    edited February 2018 #2
    Delirium

    I would speak to the doctor. There could be any number of reasons for her behavior. 

    Did they put in a lumbar drain? 

    I'm sorry to hear that they had to go through the skull for this procedure and hope she will be better soon.

    My Dad had quite a bit of delirium, days after hip surgery. He couldn't remember what hospital he was at, what year it was, his name, etc. It was the opiates they administered in his case that caused his delirium so they dialed down the dose. They ran scans and all was normal. He's fine now.

    My Mom, who had a lemon-sized meningioma removed from her brain's frontal lobe, had a bit of this delirium a few days after as well. She kept trying to leave the hospital, was hostile and belligerent to the staff, kept tampering with the IV, etc. She had significant bruising and some swelling about her face. She also had excess cerebral hemmorage, which they had to evacuate. Even after she came home (still on the same meds - opiates and anticonvulsants), she had exibited some odd behavior ie; obsessive need to clean at 3a, outbursts of hostility, etc. Her previously-diagnosed dementia was exacerbated, for which we closely monitored 24-7 for a week. It slowly susided and she is back to her normal self.

    I also have olfactory neuroblastoma. My first surgery was done endoscopically. I will be having a second surgery soon either endoscopically or through the skull. 

    I hope you are doing ok through all this and best wishes to your mom.

     

  • tanagreg
    tanagreg Member Posts: 2
    #3
    Any financial support for Olfactory neuroblastoma

    My wife was diagnosed with Olfactory neuroblastoma back in March. It is located in her nasal cavity, brain, two lymph nodes in her neck, and behind her throat. She had extreme chemo treatments every 21 days with great results. They started to do the surgery but backed off after cancer cells were detected in an area thay couldn't reach. They are now sending her through 33 treatments of radiation (5 1/2 weeks) accompanied with chemo once a week. We are now seeing the medical bills start to arrive and her short term disability has expired and we are waiting (four weeks now) for a dertermination on her long term disability. Are there any foundations out there that offer monetary help for families going through this type of cancer?

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