Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 10/12/2009

Question
QUESTION: The past month has been very busy with my 33 year old friend with Anaplastic Astrocytoma Grade III diagnosed 34 months ago. She got pneumonia, was in ICU for 4 weeks, ventilator for 21 days, had a major seizure, had a 80% loss of oxygen to the brain for 53 minutes, but she is still alive. She was moved to a Hospice Center for 10 days and has now been taken to a nursing home for physical therapy. There has been obvious brain damage from both the confirmed growth of her tumor as well as the lack of oxygen while trying to survive without a ventilator. How long can this go on? we have thought over the past month that she was gone 3 times. She does not have control over her bowels or her bladder, her feet are curling into fetal position. Not sure of size of tumor from latest MRI, but will this be her demise since she has been without chemo for 1 1/2 months now?

ANSWER: From your description I think - but it is an educated guess - that her remaining life span can at most be some months, maybe shorter. Unfortunately that is all I can tell you. Actually I'm somewhat surprised that she is still alive after all this!


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QUESTION: All those involved in this case are amazed as well. I believe in a higher power, but not sure here what He is wanting to happen. This is a sad situation that continues to pull people in many different directions as to our approach.  If only we thought with Physical Therapy she could regain the use of her legs and bodily functions, go home and live for a year or more, we would feel some sense of gratefulness for what has occurred, but unfortunately we just feel we have prolonged the inevitable for "some" period of time unknown to us all. Sorry to continue to bother you with this story, but will keep you posted as to the length of this situation in that it could help you with future questions/answers. Any and all information is appreciated.

Answer
Yes it is a very strange case! Being nominally a Protestant Christian but in reality a very skeptic agnostic - and according to my dear wife also a cynic, though I call myself a skeptic realist - I leave all religious matters to my wife (who is an Israeli Sephardic traditional Jew) and who in fact is religious - even more so now than when we first met 30 years ago. Yes please do keep me posted! Thanks!