Personality changes during treatment

Hi, 

Mum (53) is currently being treated for stage 4 GBM- she had surgery and radio and chemo, and is now on chemo one week a month. Her blood has been a bit all over the place, needing platelets and blood transfusions. 
But recently, I feel like she's really changing. She's started talking to herself, and seems completely unaware of people around us, and talks really loudly which she never used to. She plays her music SO loud in the morning and sings to it loudly, almost shouting. It's lovely to hear her singing but very out of character. Also she's started telling everyone about her dreams over and over again- it sounds awful but before she would havent have done anything like that, but she has strange dreams and she's started telling everyone, we've all noticed she's been different. She's also quite critical of my dad- he's been a star through it all which mum acknowledges but she moans about him to other peoplec which she never would have done and it hurts me to hear. It's just a few things in the last few weeks that she's been a bit different with. They sound like really small things but they are so unlike Mum- she's so quite and chilled out usually.  She's not confused at all, just seems different. Is this normal? I'm worried it could be the tumour- in August the scan showed it wasn't growing back as of yet (touch wood) but that was 3 months ago. 

  • Hi there ..

    Oh my, it's really scary when you watch someone you love going through cancer and the changes it brings ..

    Firstly from all I've learned , and I'm not qualified... but from what I've learned on here and my own journey with cancer .. is when someone has any form of cancer in the brain, it changes everything .. not always for the worse .. I think her singing is something you can treasure even if she's not a good singer .. it's about living in her world now .. remember your ol mum, but learn to love the new mum ... 

    My sister has late stage dementure... she's totally different from the big caring wise big sis to one that is really cross with us .. doesn't talk sense and is in her own world .. so as she changed so did we, we just go with the flow .. yes it's hard when she says f  off ... but hay ho .. it's the dementure not her talking ..

    Yes I miss my sister, but we get glimpses of her, and she can still make us laugh and smile ..

    It's about embracing the new her .. hold her hand, walk with her on this journey .. don't ever be embarrassed,  as so many on here, have the same situation .. but your so lucky she's not turned angry of everyone ..  hold your dad's hand too , he's getting the hard side of it all at the moment .. but tell him to remember the wife before cancer .. if she was nice then, then it's the cancer .. please don't take it personally... 

    If you all have a chat together, go into her world together .. and hold each other up, and not take anything she says or does personally... then you'll all get through .. embrace whoever she is or whatever she does .. and if she gets angry at your dad  .. tell him to go out of the room .. and do something different and get a break.. we all need a brake .. 

    Sending you all a vertual hug ... Chrissie  xx