About Karen Brawner Expertise I will answer your questions regarding cancerous brain tumors and benign train tumors. I will help your with the research of your condition so that you can help yourself in making a quality decision about your treatment.
Experience My husband had metastasis from malignant melanoma to the brain (3 tumors) and a friend of mine suffers from a benign brain tumor which she refuses to have surgery on. I can only make suggestions as to what you need to talk to your doctor about.
Shirl wrote at 2007-07-18 19:29:28
Dear Kathi,
I read your questions about the recent diagnosis of your daughter with great interest. I know how shocking this can be. My son, at age 44, was diagnosed with stage four, malignant melanoma metastisized in his brain. LIke you, we looked for all possible help. I totally believe that the answers given to you by Karen are absolutely right on target. You should look for all possible opportunities to prolong your daughter's life, but also be aware of the very serious nature of this illness to decide if the side-effects off set the possible progress. Living every moment with quality of life and joy with those you love is essential. My prayers are with you and your daughter.
Shirl
jane wrote at 2008-07-06 23:49:38
my sister 35 yrs old dyed 2 month ago with melanoma cancer--is a terrible cancer. she was on interlukin,had brain radiation, drs even put an omyah (port) in her brain-drained liquid out of it and injected in chemo--my sister was given 2-6 months-she lived on for 2 yrs. the last 2 yrs consited of seizures, not being able to walk, constant trips by ambulance to the hospital( which her cancer dr was 3 hours away) dr had wanted to do bio-chemo where patient is treated in the hospital and they become very sick--but when the time came my sister was no a candidate anymore(which she wanted to do very badly) as tht cancer grew in her brain the worse she became, sometimes knowing you sometimes not. she was told to go to nursing home with hospice( my mother refused hospice) and of course the nursing home did what they could to keep her alive---was terrible she would scream when we would visit, she would cry, she would stare out into space, then she would know you again-she couldn'd get out of bed by herself or know when she had to go to the bathroom. the nurses would get her up-which was hard as she had gained so much weight from the steriods and i believe body functions were shuting down-the nurses would take her to the dinning room to eat, they had to help her eat this went on for 7 months and became so much more worse. i was there when she passed away and she had multi seizurs, bleeding from the mouth, hard for her to breath. i never knew that death could be so cruel. if you have any ? you would like to know--please feel free to email me-my name is jane-my advice to you is try bio-chemo therapy and if this does not work definatly call hospice in before the cancer goes deep with in the brain and patient loses contact with the outside world-my heart goes out to you and every melanoma patient--i do know if i am ever diagnosed with melanoma stage iv i will take my 2 good months and pass--as i will never forget the suffering and pain my sister jenny went throug!!
