How is everyone doing? What's going on for yourself or your loved one?
Mum had her first progress MRI on Friday last week, review with Oncologist is on Friday this week, we should find out details of the MRI while we are there.
At the moment we (as a family) are finding it hard to cope with the following:
No short term memory
No concentration
No logical thinking
Laying blame for things she has done on my children (her grandkids) rather than admitting she broke or damaged something.
Not being truthful about how she is feeling or changes in her health and well being
Mood swings
Change in attitude
Outward spoken when in previous times, bit her tongue
I know all of the above are part and parcel with GBM and brain surgery in general but when it's actually happening to someone so close to you, someone who has previously NEVER been like that her entire life, it's heartbreaking.
As for Mum's health in general, she is fairly stable. Her legs get spasms all the time in the night and she now wears a special boot on both legs to combat the spasms. She seems to have some mild incontinence but hasn't spoken up about this so I can arrange her the things she needs, I'm too scared to ask her about it as I know it is embarrassing for her to admit. My Aunty is a nurse, she is keeping a close eye on things for me as I update her and will have a chat to Mum when the time comes. Sleep is still a big issue, I think her lack of logical thinking comes into play here. If my children are awake for any reason in the night and wake Mum, logically she won't stay in bed and allow herself to go back to sleep, instead she gets up and spends the next couple of hours awake trying to keep busy around the house. Therefore, exhaustion is another big thing for her too. She won't sit still for more than 20 minutes or so, even eating a meal she is on the go, coming back and forth to it for a bite here and there.
First round of chemotherapy and radiotherapy finished in the 2nd week of December, 4 weeks break is almost over. I expect that the oncologist on Friday will let her know when it all starts over again.
Sorry for not checking in more often, hours blur to days, days blur to weeks and well life is pretty hectic between caring for my children as a single mother as well as trying to assist Dad in caring for Mum...
Dx