Mum personality/behaviour not the same

Mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer in Feb 2024. Had mobility and anxiety problems already so increased that. Now in hospital with infections and all behaviour has suddenly changed due to spread to brain. 

Confused and very angry to me and wants me to not talk. I visit every day and hard to deal with as we are so close and I am her carer. Was loving and always talking before.

Is this to be expected?

  • Hi TR03

    Have you spoken to your mum's doctors in the hospital with regard to the changes in her personality? 

    My mum had secondary breast cancer and ended up in hospital, hers was spread to lungs, liver and bones, but she didnt have spread to her brain.  However, she changed over night into a very angry and aggressive person, myself and my elderly father took all sorts of abuse from her. It turned out that it was due to the morphine that she was on for her pain, once they put her on a different painkiller, she was back to her normal self within a day.

    I would chat to her doctors and say how much she has changed, see if they think it is down to the spread to her brain or whether it could be due to medication that she is on.

    I hope that it is down to the medication and that it can be altered, so that you get your loving mum back.

    Best wishes

    Annie

  • Offline in reply to annie123

    Hi Annie

    Many thanks for your response.

    Unfortunately, Mum not yet on painkillers (which is good) so behavior not due to medication as any antibiotics and steroids are to try and reduce swelling.

    Doctors say not worked so well, so worried the behaviour will not change or get worse. So out of character and upsetting.

    TR

  • Oh I am sorry to hear that, I had hoped there might have been a simple answer to it.

    Sorry that you are having to go through this, I only experienced it for a couple of days, but I know how hard that was.

    Try to look after yourself through this and maybe get some support from Macmillan or if there is a Maggies centre attached to the hospital.  It wont change the situation, but it might help having someone to talk to about it.

    You and your mum are in my thoughts and prayers.

    Annie