Effects of brain mets at 'later stage'?

Oh, Dee, am so sorry to hear all of this.

My only experience of brain mets was with a friend. In the early months she was as well as could be expected (don't you just love that phrase). Anyhow as time progressed, she became aware that she was "changing" and asked that the younger family members should not visit any more-she was still sufficiently in control/aware to worry that she would frighten them. She was such a great girl, and all her young neices and nephews loved her dearly-she was changing-becoming very forgetful, slightly aggressive, and didn't want them to cope with this as it got worse. This was very much towards the last few weeks of her life. Her actual cause of death was a massive stroke-so in many ways, her worst fears never actually came about.The younger family members had their memories of the aunt they knew and loved-and her death, wasn't strictly speaking, from cancer.

Yep Northerners lol, good crowd.

xo 

Thanks to Dee for asking the question and to all who replied. Was diagnosed with brain mets last week, speech and balance already badly affected. Having radiotherapy at moment and was hoping to reverse worst of the symptoms, was I expecting too much? Dee and the rest of the club I love your attitude, Lets make the most of what we have, I'm feeling happy in spite of whats ahead. Could that be a sign of brain mets too?  Good luck girls .

Hi Dee,

 I met a dear and close friend through the her2 support site, she was stage iv with bone /brain mets and I was early stage.   I live in Ireland and she in Scotland at that time, but as her hubby was irish I helped her move here as she wanted her children/hubby to be close to his family when she passed.

She was an amazing woman,  and also a smoker that  never managed to quite give up through her dx.  In the last two weeks when she called me she had difficulty hearing me, also had trouble texting as her thumbs were affected by neuropathy. She took her xeloda at lunchtime as usual on her last day on earth, smoked a ciggie out in the garden and said she was going for a lie down.  She did'nt awake.   It broke all our hearts to lose her, but as a fellow cancer survivor I think she had a beautiful death if such a thing is possible.   She left two young children but left them letter's to read and was very much ready, a strong brave lady who I wished I had known better but time did'nt allow.

My Father had a horrible death from cancer (in my mind) and I thought this so beautiful and wanted to share with you.  Carol also had a beautiful funeral and was buried over looking a lake near her home and under a tree which her hubby was glad he found:)

My very best wishes to you, and hope this gives you hope as it did me . xx

Tricia xx 

I'm reading these and my heart goes out to all.  My 34 year old daughter was diagnosed with stage IIa last August 2009 and then the brain mets showed up April 2010........WBR in May 2010........issues with sleeping, not eating and balance and cognition in August so a craniotomy for the largest tumor.  October 2010 tumors found on the liver and lungs......chemo started with Abraxane and another drug and she finished the first 3 treatments before starting to have neuro issues again.  Another MRI this past Wednesday to find that not only are the tumors back to almost the original size and some bigger.........but there are now several small ones in her cerebellum.  They stopped the chemo and will be doing the cyber knife surgery next week on the largest ones.  I spoke to her doctor 's office yesterday and the covering doc stated that her doctor told her before she left for vacation for her brother's wedding that she hoped that Sandi would still be with us when she returned on November 30th.  They are not sure that the SRS will work, I'm assuming due to their size and they are normally used on tumors smaller than 3cm and out of the at least 7 tumors she now has, the 3 largest are over that......even the one that was "removed" is back to 5x3cm now in only 2 months.

Right now she is sleeping more and more each day........she is having trouble drinking much and her balance and spatial awareness are very poor.  We were just able to get a motorized wheelchair/scooter which is controlled by the person pushing because my other daughter works at one of the companies and they were nice enough to let Sandi use one specially made for her for as "long as she needs it"......free!  She is still there mentally and is only showing some short temper spurts here and there.

Not only am I obviously concerned about Sandi........but she has a 5 year old little girl and I also am concerned about my husband.  Sandi is technically my stepdaughter (I hate the "step" word!).  Her mom, my husband's first wife, died from breast cancer after a 5 year battle at the age of 35.  Way too much deja vue and he's feeling really beat up from this dreaded disease as he watches his daughter now fight the same disease that his wife succumbed to.  How do you balance the hope with the reality?  The doctor tells me that Sandi may not see Christmas yet they are doing the SRS.  This is just not what we thought even last year when she was diagnosed............we thought at the very least we had time since it was caught early!  

We will be talking with her about her final wishes this Sunday after her daughter's birthday party and will try to get her to agree to a home health aide/visiting nurse to help.  It's just so sad to be putting those two things together........I'm just at a loss as to what to do to help her.

 My love and prayers to all of the ladies here for as much quality time as possible and for a calm and peaceful passing.......Hugs to all of you!