Inoperable astrocytoma

leo1118
leo1118 Member Posts: 3
edited November 2012 in Brain Cancer #1
My daughter in law was diagnosed with an inoperable astrocytoma in Sept. 2010. The neurologist said the tumor was mid brain, and was huge. The only symptoms she had were seizures, she would have petit mals frequently and her memory was affected, and the only physical sign was tremor in her right hand. The tumor is wrapped around the thalmus and was invading the ventricles.
She underwent radiation and chemo and there was some shrinkage and things went quite well for about a year. She went without a seizure for approximately a year and her memory had improved tremendously.
In June this year my son phoned me and asked what to do for a grand mal seizure...I told him to call an ambulance, I got to his house at the same time as the ambulance and when I arrived she was still unresponsive. My son said she woke and experienced petit mals of and on for about and hour and then had a grand mal. She had another grand mal when they arrived at the hosp. She remained unresponsive and the doctors thought they would have to intubate her and admit her to ICU. Thankfully she started to come around, so they didn't intubate her, they took her for an MRI, but she moved so much that the picture was not very clear. Her confusion and memory was terrible, nothing like in the past and we were terrified. She remained in the hospital for a week and by the time she came home it seemed like nothing had happened, she was like before. Unfortunately within a month her seizures had started again and she had a terrible headache which she had never had before. They admitted her to hospital again and did another MRI. The MRI showed that the tumor had grown and was growing into the base of her brain. They started her on chemo again and we were told that they could not do radiation again.
She is becoming progressively worse, her tremors are terrible, she has no memory at all,we cannot leave her alone, her appetite is excellent but that is the only good thing. She falls easily, and she has little or no energy. We are beside ourselves with worry. She goes for another MRI next week, and we are terrified about the outcome.
We are looking for answers, has anyone experienced anything similar to this. Are there any other treatments out there? She is only 30 years old.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions