Easily Agitated?

On 4/26/2008 gr8ful4itall wrote:

So my huband, I and the kids went to see his mom yesterday evening because we hadn't seen her for a week. She seemed to be doing alot better attitude-wise. She told us the doc gave her zoloft to calm down her "antsy-ness"...She however still seemed ready to "jump out of her skin" any minute. She constantly was shaking her legs, whether sitting or standing. She also moved her upper body some too. We tried to just ignore it figuring this was some type of side effect of the cancer. But then I thought about it and she didn't display this while she was having treatments, only after.

And then there's the kids...one's 16 months and one's 3 1/2 years. They are at best mildly hyper. They're kids! And my husband and I took care of the kids the whole time. We didn't ask his parents to do anything regarding the kids. We were only there 2 hours.The longer we were there the more annoyed my mother-in-law seemed to get. So I hurried to wash the supper dishes thinking she wouldn't have to wash them after we left and could relax. Then my daughter accidentally knocked something off of a stand and it hit my mother in laws leg. My husband just happened to be coming out of the bathroom and heard her say to his dad " They NEED to go" . You would have thought someone had lit my husband on fire. He had the kids 'shoes on, the diaper bag ready and was practically pushing me out the door.

At the time I couldn't figure out what was going on. But then as we drove home I asked him what was up. Then he told me. He was really upset and I still think he is. I try to tell him that it's probably just the disease and not his mom, but he's having a tough time coming to terms with GBM. I mean, it's in their brains...who knows what happens up there. I usually try to schedule a little bit of time for her with our family once a week, but my husband doesn't want to take our kids around if she may possibly have another "moment".

 I thought it would be a good idea, that if she would like to see them, she and his father could just come to our house,that way if she has had enough or feels similar to how she did yesterday, they could just leave.

 It is so heartbreaking for me to see my mother-in-law go from a happy individual to a fidgety,somewhat aggressive woman. It's also heartbreaking to see my husband lose his "normal" mother and my children to lose their grandma. I know that this disease can totally change a person, but I was hoping that it wouldn't happen to her. At least not this fast. She was just diagnosed 2 1/2 months ago.

 Is this something that is going to get worse, or is it maybe just because she's anxious at getting her first MRI results in another week? Sorry I'm rambling but I just can't seem to shake this issue. I'm sure I need to pray about it again. Well thanks for listening everyone. God bless~

My husband (dx 12/06) gets very agitated.  BUT it's not only at the young children, it's at me, everyone.  In the beginning it wasn't so bad, but as he was on more and more decadron the agitation became worse.  At one time he was almost off the decadron and still agitation was there.  In November he had a setback where another tumor was found on the left side of the brain and the confusion and agitiation was absolutely awful.   It became a little better, but recently it has become much worse.  He is facing the end of his battle and has been told that there are no more treatments available to him because he has a vena cava filter for blood clots and the clots extend from the filter down into both legs.  His platelets have been low since December.  When the agitation comes now, it is not directed towards anything/anyone.  I say it is the tumor talking, not my husband.  He loves his grandchildren/children and had always wanted to have them around.  Even now he asks where they are when there not at our house.  BUt when they come over, he can't handle much communication with them.  Just think what your husbands father is going through when you are not around.  He's probably not telling you  much because he loves his wife so much.  Just remember GBM changes the way the brain works.  People with GBM cannot control emotions.  My husband doesn't even remember he's at our own house.  He wants to know when I'm taking him home or how long we are staying "here".  I wish your family the best in this battle. 

On 4/26/2008 gr8ful4itall wrote:

So my huband, I and the kids went to see his mom yesterday evening because we hadn't seen her for a week. She seemed to be doing alot better attitude-wise. She told us the doc gave her zoloft to calm down her "antsy-ness"...She however still seemed ready to "jump out of her skin" any minute. She constantly was shaking her legs, whether sitting or standing. She also moved her upper body some too. We tried to just ignore it figuring this was some type of side effect of the cancer. But then I thought about it and she didn't display this while she was having treatments, only after.

And then there's the kids...one's 16 months and one's 3 1/2 years. They are at best mildly hyper. They're kids! And my husband and I took care of the kids the whole time. We didn't ask his parents to do anything regarding the kids. We were only there 2 hours.The longer we were there the more annoyed my mother-in-law seemed to get. So I hurried to wash the supper dishes thinking she wouldn't have to wash them after we left and could relax. Then my daughter accidentally knocked something off of a stand and it hit my mother in laws leg. My husband just happened to be coming out of the bathroom and heard her say to his dad " They NEED to go" . You would have thought someone had lit my husband on fire. He had the kids 'shoes on, the diaper bag ready and was practically pushing me out the door.

At the time I couldn't figure out what was going on. But then as we drove home I asked him what was up. Then he told me. He was really upset and I still think he is. I try to tell him that it's probably just the disease and not his mom, but he's having a tough time coming to terms with GBM. I mean, it's in their brains...who knows what happens up there. I usually try to schedule a little bit of time for her with our family once a week, but my husband doesn't want to take our kids around if she may possibly have another "moment".

 I thought it would be a good idea, that if she would like to see them, she and his father could just come to our house,that way if she has had enough or feels similar to how she did yesterday, they could just leave.

 It is so heartbreaking for me to see my mother-in-law go from a happy individual to a fidgety,somewhat aggressive woman. It's also heartbreaking to see my husband lose his "normal" mother and my children to lose their grandma. I know that this disease can totally change a person, but I was hoping that it wouldn't happen to her. At least not this fast. She was just diagnosed 2 1/2 months ago.

 Is this something that is going to get worse, or is it maybe just because she's anxious at getting her first MRI results in another week? Sorry I'm rambling but I just can't seem to shake this issue. I'm sure I need to pray about it again. Well thanks for listening everyone. God bless~