more Brain mets questions

[Colleen]

My Mom will have her last WBR on Monday. I've posted before,but today I'm feeling very confused.Unlike many of the posts I've read,she is symptomatic,only not with what I've read are typical synptoms. She is like someone with early dementia. Its all cognitive stuff. That appears to have stabilized,but it hasn't gotten any better. The biggest problem that unless you physically prompt her,she will not move. You can tell her about 50 times and she says,"Ok",but just sits there. She wets herself and just doesn't seem to care. She just doesn't want anyone to bother her. My confusion is in regards to how much of the lack of cognition is the disease and how much is this a side effect of the WBR? Can she recover from this if the tumors shrink,or is this what is to be expected forever? This is doubly hard for me as my father died from dementia and although these are 2 seperate diseases,watching someone go from a perfectly functioning adult,to a very childlike condition is gut wrenching.
Sorry to be so down,but I can't seem to find any info on people who have had any of these symptoms and then recover.

[Larry]

I assume your mother is on Decadron (dexamethasone) to reduce the brain swelling. How many mg. per day is she on and is she takig it regularly? Everyone's symptoms are different depending on where in the brain the mets are. My wife had trouble walking, was off balance, and had trouble using her legs but also has cognitive problems when the brain swelling is not under control with the Decadron (steroid). I have had to call the doctor to get the dose increased when the symptoms get worse.

[Colleen]

Yes,she is on steroids. She was on 4mgs a day 4x's per day at 1st,then 2mgs,4xs per day. Monday they told us to reduce it by one pill per day every 5 days.Maybe we will have to increase it again? Thank you for your response.

[Kathy]

I felt that way on the decadron. They finally had to take me off it half way through treatment. I couldn't function. Laid in bed all day, got up to eat and go to the bathroom. I couldn't think, concentrate or do anything. My personality is pretty even tempered, but during this time, I yelled and jumped on everyone. I was even like this for about 3 wks after the WBR and the decadron. Don't give up hope. Kathy

[Kathy]

I felt that way on the decadron. They finally had to take me off it half way through treatment. I couldn't function. Laid in bed all day, got up to eat and go to the bathroom. I couldn't think, concentrate or do anything. My personality is pretty even tempered, but during this time, I yelled and jumped on everyone. I was even like this for about 3 wks after the WBR and the decadron. Don't give up hope. Kathy

[Larry]

Colleen,
The steroid is like walking a tightrope. Too much and it causes a lot of side effects. Too little and the brain swelling causes the neurological sysmptoms, cognitive problems, etc. If you haven't yet called the doctor do so today even though it is Sunday and you feel you are "bothering" the doctor by calling and having him/her paged. The dose of the steroid may need to be adjusted. I am able to tell by my wife's actions when the brain swelling is increasing. If my wife exhibited the symptoms your mother has I would be on the phone with the doctor.

Hope it all works out. If the WBR works for your mother they will be able to get her off the steroid and things will improve. My wife has reoccurred after about 3 months respite after the WBR but at least she got to see our new granddaughter who was just born.