anyone here have experience with brain tumors in family?

[yoda291]

Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

 

[nick1985]

i had a tumor in my shin last spring...<<shudders>>

 

[bay]

I feel your concern. My mom had a brain tumor about 5 years ago and had surgery on it. It was a difficult expierence, the tumor was wrapped around a nerve that is necessary for hearing in her left ear which they had to cut to get to the tumor. so my mom is now deaf in her left ear. I say this not to scare you; just that I understand what you are going through.

Im sure whatever course of action taken by the doctor's will be successful. I can't say that I'm very religious but I wish you and your mother the best.

brad

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: bay
I feel your concern. My mom had a brain tumor about 5 years ago and had surgery on it. It was a difficult expierence, the tumor was wrapped around a nerve that is necessary for hearing in her left ear which they had to cut to get to the tumor. so my mom is now deaf in her left ear. I say this not to scare you; just that I understand what you are going through.

Im sure whatever course of action taken by the doctor's will be successful. I can't say that I'm very religious but I wish you and your mother the best.

brad

that's kind of heartening. I'm hoping they figured it out early because my mom's been in and out of hospitals quite often and been constantly tested because she has liver problems. (yeah, my family's a laundry list of medical issues). My only concern is that she's had headaches for years which was the reason originally for asking the doctor about her head.

 

[xXped0thugXx]

my dad had a brain aneurism, had to operate through his crotch and go up to his head otherwise he woulda had major scarring on the left side of his face, hes doing good now though, keep your head up, stay strong and you and your mother will make it through

 

[xSauronx]

a girl i went to highschool with had a tumor found in her brain when she was 16 or so.
the first operation went well; no complications, they know they didnt get it all, but got alot of it.

another operation caused her to lose control in her left eye; and she ended up wearing a patch over it because it was always moving around.

another operation and i couldnt stand to look at her. shed been one of the smarter students in class; and whatever happened during an operation she was, last i saw her, just shy of retarded and I doubt she'll ever be able to live on her own.

Kinda hate to bring it all up; but you asked. It was terribly sad to see her go from being such a smart, nice and healthy person to the kind of condition she was in when i graduated high school =(

I certainly hope for better for your mother; not necessarily for this but I hope it's no tumor.

 

[Rudee]

Sorry to hear about your Mom. Let's hope 2005 will be an especially terrific year for your family in terms of health and fortune. Good luck.

 

[wyvrn]

About 13 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor about the size of an orange. She had been fighting cancer for years and was in remission when she started having headaches. We didn't suspect it. I was 17 at the time, and it was quite a shock for me. The doctor told my mother, after reading her Xray to us, that she shouldn't leave the hospital that night if she wanted to live. She had surgery the next day.

The good news is she lasted 5 years afterwards. Right after the surgery, because of where they had to cut, she had extreme paranoia. I mean extreme. It took about a year before it died down. I think it was also a side-effect of the medication she was taking after surgery as well. My mother was coherent for about 3.5 years after the surgery, but during the last 18 months she slowly lost her faculties.

It was extremely hard seeing her go through that. I was forced to grow up very quickly. I had a deep respect for the courage my mother showed during that time. And I learned at an early age not to take life for granted, to spend as much time with family and friends doing the things you love most. I miss her most during the holidays, which for years afterwards were extremely hard for me to take. But I have a lot of wonderful memories, and will always think of my mother as the gutsy, courageous, warm, and giving person she was when I knew her.

The only advice I will give is to let out your emotions, don't hold them in. It's ok to cry and feel frustrated and helpless to her situation. You will probably be angry at her at some point, don't worry this is part of the coping process. Just remember to value every single second with her from now on.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: yoda291
Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

is it malignant or benign?

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
About 13 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor about the size of an orange. She had been fighting cancer for years and was in remission when she started having headaches. We didn't suspect it. I was 17 at the time, and it was quite a shock for me. The doctor told my mother, after reading her Xray to us, that she shouldn't leave the hospital that night if she wanted to live. She had surgery the next day.

The good news is she lasted 5 years afterwards. Right after the surgery, because of where they had to cut, she had extreme paranoia. I mean extreme. It took about a year before it died down. I think it was also a side-effect of the medication she was taking after surgery as well. My mother was coherent for about 3.5 years after the surgery, but during the last 18 months she slowly lost her faculties.

It was extremely hard seeing her go through that. I was forced to grow up very quickly. I had a deep respect for the courage my mother showed during that time. And I learned at an early age not to take life for granted, to spend as much time with family and friends doing the things you love most. I miss her most during the holidays, which for years afterwards were extremely hard for me to take. But I have a lot of wonderful memories, and will always think of my mother as the gutsy, courageous, warm, and giving person she was when I knew her.

The only advice I will give is to let out your emotions, don't hold them in. It's ok to cry and feel frustrated and helpless to her situation. You will probably be angry at her at some point, don't worry this is part of the coping process. Just remember to value every single second with her from now on.

That's good to hear. I've already accepted the fact that both my parents aren't long in this world. My father has heart issues and my mother has liver problems both are pretty severe. Carrying your parents to a hospital window so they can get a look outside every day grows you up real quick. What seems to terrify my mom though is not that she might not make it, but that if she wakes up, she'll look at us and not remember her life with us.

I'm trying to find ways to keep her mind off it. I gave her my axim and she's been playing that crazy colored ball game for a while. Considering buying a ps2 and katamari damacy or taiko drum master for her to amuse herself with. Simple destractions or something, because I know once we go to bed, this will haunt her unless she can latch onto something else.

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291
Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

is it malignant or benign?

I don't know. I remember hearing that it wasn't cancerous ... but that could be just my parents trying to shield me. The doctors don't really talk to me. I actually don't think they know yet.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291
Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

is it malignant or benign?

I don't know. I remember hearing that it wasn't cancerous ... but that could be just my parents trying to shield me. The doctors don't really talk to me. I actually don't think they know yet.

my father had a malignant brain tumor. we found out when his leg started moving on it's own which was due to the area the tumor was in. he didn't fare well - only lived 9 months after that.

you need to talk to the doctors and get answers. be proactive, not retroactive. you need to help get your mother on the path to recovery. if the doctor doesn't want to answer your questions then find another doctor.

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291
Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

is it malignant or benign?

I don't know. I remember hearing that it wasn't cancerous ... but that could be just my parents trying to shield me. The doctors don't really talk to me. I actually don't think they know yet.

my father had a malignant brain tumor. we found out when his leg started moving on it's own which was due to the area the tumor was in. he didn't fare well - only lived 9 months after that.

you need to talk to the doctors and get answers. be proactive, not retroactive. you need to help get your mother on the path to recovery. if the doctor doesn't want to answer your questions then find another doctor.

I've already been removed from the hospital grounds for being a little too "proactive". I did manage to get some unofficial confirmation that "we don't think it's cancerous" from a nurse. Really, I'm just waiting on the specialist to read over the test results from today. I think it's more helpful to keep her spirits up rather than hound doctors.

 

[Lola]

my prayers are going out to her and your family.

I have to say though, that several years ago my grandmother had a horrible brain tumor that was giving her seizures. At the time, she was in her late 70's yet very spry and active. She had to have surgery to remove it, but eventhoguh it was such a involved surgery (over 12 hrs) she was back home with in 4 days.

So, just keep positive for her and it will be fine. My prayers for a speedy recovery!

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: yoda291
Hey all.

The doctors seem to think my mom may have a tumor in her head. She went for an MRI today and a specialist will be getting back to her in a couple days with how they want to proceed(likely surgery). She tries to hide it but I know she's stressed and depressed and kinda spooked. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this sort of thing. Information or suggestions would be great in terms of things like like data on what to expect. Possible treatment options. Experiences from people who've been through something like this. Even ideas for distractions late at night would be really good (so she's not staying up at night stressing it.)

For those who follow a Christian/Catholic lifestyle, prayer is welcome. If you need to refer to me in prayer, my name is Pete, not yoda291.

For those who don't, your ritual goat sacrificing, burnt wheat, good luck dances, eat 6 hotdogs for the yankees to hit a homerun rituals or whatever you want to do are also welcome.

Your sympathy is appreciated, but really, my mom isn't going to read this thread (she doesn't read english well) and it'd probably just make me dwell on the problem longer rather than a solution so if you could try and keep posts more informative, that'd be appreciated.

Thanks all.

is it malignant or benign?

I don't know. I remember hearing that it wasn't cancerous ... but that could be just my parents trying to shield me. The doctors don't really talk to me. I actually don't think they know yet.

my father had a malignant brain tumor. we found out when his leg started moving on it's own which was due to the area the tumor was in. he didn't fare well - only lived 9 months after that.

you need to talk to the doctors and get answers. be proactive, not retroactive. you need to help get your mother on the path to recovery. if the doctor doesn't want to answer your questions then find another doctor.

I've already been removed from the hospital grounds for being a little too "proactive". I did manage to get some unofficial confirmation that "we don't think it's cancerous" from a nurse. Really, I'm just waiting on the specialist to read over the test results from today. I think it's more helpful to keep her spirits up rather than hound doctors.

didn't say to hound doctors, but you did say "the doctors don't really talk to me", which led me to believe you were just sitting back.

and yes, while it is good to keep your Mom's spirits up, it will be easier after you get answers and can plan a course of treatment.

for my Dad he kept his sense of humor, and we all tried to see the humor whenever and wherever we could. sharing a laugh is the best medicine.