Glioblastoma: Is this typical?

[KJ87, BSN, RN]

My grandmother was diagnosed with GBM last month, had surgery to remove what they could of the tumor, and just had her first radiation and chemo session a few days ago. Her doctors say the swelling hasn't gone done, in fact she appears to be right where she was before the surgery. My cousin is her primary caregiver right now, so most information we get is passed along by her. She's saying that my grandmother basically needs to be bed bound to prevent anymore brain swelling. Is this typically what's suggested? No cooking, no walking, no standing, no car rides? Are these people expected to sit in a chair and waste away?

[Undone]

A quote from an article "Without treatment (at least surgery), patients with glioblastoma uniformly may die within 3 months of the diagnostic. Death is then usually due to cerebral edema or increased intracranial pressure."

Here is an article, it is 4 years old and it discusses end of life care, so read it only if you want to:

http://neuro-oncology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/01/27/neuonc.nop045.full

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

There are different, basic treatment regimens typical to specific types of cancer, but the regimen that is prescribed is going to be personalized based on your grandmother's physical condition, the results of her diagnostic tests, the stage of the disease, and the course of treatment that she or her power of attorney chooses for her.

As none of us have access to your grandmother's medical charts, we cannot offer you advice on what ought to be her plan of care or what is "typical" for a case such as hers. Unfortunately, glioblastoma is an extremely agressive form of cancer with a low survival rate. It is often quickly debilitating, and those who opt to treat it need to be encouraged to comply with the plan of care, no matter how limiting it may seem. Please follow up with your concerns with the physicians directly. Best of luck.

[KJ87, BSN, RN]

Of course, thank you for your responses. I was just wondering if people are generally advised to not move around much to prevent further brain swelling. It just sounds crazy to me, and we're not sure if my cousin is making stuff up to fit her agenda or not. It's a mess of a situation, and our focus is giving my grandmother the freedom and memories she never had before.

Thank you again, I appreciate both of you taking the time to respond to my post. :)

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I am really sorry to hear about your Grandmother but we are unable to give medical advice on these boards. Can you reach out to her doctors and see what they say