Help Me Understand Brain Stem Glioma

Zonker · New User Joined: 07 Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Location: UK

My friend had leukemia as a young girl (8 or 9) and is now 14 and past it. She had headaches... an MRI... the MRI was a week ago and the results were three days ago... and she was told she had a Brain Stem Glioma... that they want to do surgery in two weeks. Can someone tell me how this might turn out? What do other cases look like? I don't want to be diplomatic and use words like 'mortality rates'... I also don't want to bum out anyone here that's fighting with cancer... I just want to know if I'm going to lose my friend.

I was half-decapitated by an elevator when I was six. I'm very realistic and I suck at emotions. I just want a logical response so I can see things coming. Don't think I'm being selfish and making this cancer about me. Losing her would kill me inside.

brainman

Zonker, I am so sorry about your girlfriend's cancer. To be so young at to have to face a second cancer, cannot be easy on her.

It is hard to know what you can expect. The Brain Stem controls all of the basic, life sustaining functions such as the heart and the lungs. It really depends on how much damage the tumor has cause and the surgery will cause.

I am not sure about her prognosis (We do not talk about "life expectancy" but "prognosis" or the probability of living more than x number of years). I cannot find any statistics on a Brain Stem Glioma in someone so young. I assume that like all gliomas her prognosis will greatly depend on the stage of the cancer, its size, specific location, and the treatment(s) she takes. If it is a low grade and she does well with her treatments (like I did), she could live many more years. If it is an aggressive tumor, she might only have a couple of years or less. Sorry that I cannot be more specific.

You and your girlfriend are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us updated.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54
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Zonker · New User Joined: 07 Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Location: UK

Thank you, Jim. I hope I didn't cause any offense. I've learned to laugh at anything to do with myself in a wheelchair or worse... but I'm finding it much harder to watch someone you care for go through this. I always knew my family had the tougher side after my accident. I suppose I'm in a similar boat to many in this forum... research the net and make attempts to contact universities or pioneers in the field that have high hopes for a treatment. I even read something about THC causing this type of tumor to dissipate in mice. I looked into so much after my first message here. I've yet to ask the specific location and grade. I knew what was possible and she just told me it was bad and typed me 'Brain Stem Glioma'. I haven't asked anything else and I don't think she needs anyone else feeling sorry or worried... so, I try to make her laugh and talk about a future that I hope she sees. I thank you for your thoughts... and your prayers. I haven't decided to pray myself. It's hard to have faith after so much bad and so little real good. I feel like I'm constantly going through all the stages of grieving... and I just wish it could could be me instead. I'm so tired of seeing people like her suffer.

Sorry... I can't talk about this with anyone... her most of all... and it just... sucks. Thank you again for your help and kind words. I hope that things have been positive on your end... not sure how better to put that. God bless.

brainman

I totally understand Sad

. I too sometimes wounder why I have survived and so many other, much younger than I have to suffer so much. I would gladly take your friend's tumor. I feel agree that I cannot because it seems so unfair. Why should a 14 year old girl with her whole life before her have to go through this rather than I who have already seen many years?

You did not offend me and I can't imagine your post would offend anyone else that is here. So feel free to continue to use this forum as a place to express your feelings, ask questions, keep track of your journey with your friend... whatever you need this to be to help you get thought this terror.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/James.Hawking54?ref=profile

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