Mrs. Lanoue
LNG 321
November 15, 2012
Overcoming Glioblastoma After being diagnosed with Glioblastoma, one of the most dangerous brain cancers, one’s estimated life span is 12 months and so many things in their life change whether it’s for the better or worse. Although with different types of treatment and a little hope people can overcome this kind of adversity. Anyone can have Glioblastoma and not only does it affect the one diagnosed it also affects the people associated with that person. This deadly type of cancer is very hard to deal with but it isn’t impossible to overcome. Anyone can be diagnosed with Glioblastoma, but it is usually found in adults from age 45 to 75. This is a life threatening adversity, even though …show more content…
it is easier to treat at the early ages than the older ages. Glioblastoma being found it the brain is automatically considered on of the worst types of cancer. It is one of the most common types of brain cancer as stated by Jeffery Bruce “Of the estimated 17,000 primary brain tumors diagnosed in the United States each year, approximately 60% are gliomas.” The brain tumors are graded on a scale from one to four, four being the worst. Depedning on how the tumor’s size, grade, location in the brain, and person’s age will determine what type of treatment will be most effective for the patient. So it’s a difficult decision and should be discussed with the doctor as said on Mybiopsy.org “It’s important to learn as much as you can about your treatment options and make the decision that’s right for you.”
People diagnosed with Glioblastoma are impacted seriously with its at home, work, or anywhere else.
This type of cancer affects parts of the brain that control speech, vision and even motor skills. Some symptoms that come with Glioblastoma are headaches, seizures, mental or physical changes, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and visual problems. with all these symptoms its hard for people to do their everday routines. Its also hard for friends and family members to know that a loved one is diagnosed with one of the most deadly types of cancer. Also knowing that you won’t be able to do things that you love, going to work, or just enjoy yourself is a big change in that person’s life. So with so many symptoms the treatment can be very difficult as stated by Mybiopsy.org “Treating glioblastoma is a complex process, requiring a variety of techniques and procedures.” There are many different types of treatment such as surgery, radioactive therapy, and chemotherapy. So knowing that are different types of treament can help the patient be more calm. A women named Cynthia Amendt was diagnosed with grade four Glioblastoma. She was a teacher, and at first she thought that she wasn’t going to be able to teach again as she says “ I thought my teaching days were over.” She had treatment in
Minneapolis.
After a while she found out that the treatment given to her wasn’t working. That became a big problem as her doctors stated “they were running out of options.” But she then moved to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. So at that point she had surgery and still went through radiation and chemotherapy, but her cancer was controlled. So she wasn’t able to do the things she loved for a while like teach and see her students, but she still stayed positive no matter how bad the situation was. Be diagnosed with Glioblastoma had a huge affect on her life because she had a different view of life. What can be taken from this personal story is that you have to stay optomistic and be thankful for everyday because they are a gift.
Everyone has to face different challenges in their lives, but being diagnosed with Glioblastoma is an extremely difficult one. Although not everyone is expected to survive, some people do and it shows that people can overcome this type of adversity. With the different types of treatment and with some support from others it can be overcome as time goes on.