During cancer treatment, is it normal to be so mean?
My father was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (ext) in Dec 2008. After his 1st treatment, he was also given radiation treatment to the brain. He is now coming up on his 3rd round of chemo and has 3 more to go. I understand and have read about the stages of emotion - guilt, anger, sadness... but the only emotion that he has been showing is complete meanness. His whole demeanor and personality is different. He has become very selfish and demanding things at that moment, having no patience at all. If he doesn't get what he wants he basically throws a fit like a 5 year old, sometime in public. Something that my father would never do! He doesn't listen or follow simple rules during chemo like - no large crowds, stay well rested, take it easy, no driving (because he had radiation to the brain), wash hands excessively.... all the little extra things that need to be done during chemo treatments. He is being very stubborn and is basically doing what he wants even though he knows its not a wise decision. All of these things have been advised by his doctor and his family. We are with him 24-7 because we do not trust that he won't drive off or fall. He is also having a real hard time differentiating dream and reality. He won't even sleep when he's clearly tired. It's the weirdest thing!!! We just want to know if anyone out there can relate to this situation. Is this this how he is just dealing with his illness, or not dealing with it? Is this anger and attitude from his medication? Is this normal?
Cancer - 8 Answers
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1 :
It is both. Going thru numerous emotions until be gets to acceptance. The other can be from medication. I know after I received raditation I felt an unexplainable rage for about sixty minutes after treatment.
2 :
Anytime anyone has a severe personality change like you are describing than it is time to talk to his doctor. You say that he has lung cancer but than say he had radiation treatment to the brain . . this suggests that he has metastatic cancer that traveled to the brain. This does not sound good, perhaps the cancer has relapsed in the brain . . in any event a personality change is a signal . .it is not common at all . . so your mother or the primary caregiver needs to be discussing this issue with your fathers doctor. My son had stage IV abdominal sarcoma for three years and never experienced this type of personality change . .so with your father it could be disease related or it could be medicine related . . call his doctor.
3 :
My dad had lung cancer that went to his brain and he died from it, so I know what your family is going through. My dad however, never had the personality change your dad is having. It would only be a guess on our part to say what is causing this. You need to let his doctor know what you're seeing to find out if it's anger at having the disease or caused by the medication. I sincerely hope your dad can win this awful fight. Good luck to all of you.
4 :
If he is receiving any "STEROIDAL" medications it has that effect. and it can be pretty bad at times. Talk with his oncologist and see if they can give him some LORAZIPAM it counter acts the steroidal effects somewhat.
5 :
Well, you should most definatly make sure the doctor is aware of all this. I was pretty hateful for a while during my second diagnosis. I was ANGRY that it had come back and ruined my plans. I had just started working again from the first time. I was doing good with my work, I had a financial savings plan to help us find a better house to rent and to get me a newer used car that wasnt falling apart and some other things. My hair had just gotten to a length I half way liked. And then here comes cancer, all over again. I mean, I was seriously soooo angry. Still am to a point, that second time changed a lot about my life on a permnent level. I did some things like that. I wanted to do what I wanted to do and what I wanted to do only. I ignored a lot of the neutropenic precautions because I resented needing them again. And the more the people around me tried to force me to do the things I was supposed to be doing or wouldnt let me do things I wasnt supposed to do, the worse it made me. Obviously, if he isnt capable of driving, dont let him. But if you are fighting about going out in public or washing hands or whatever else... dont. Remember that he IS an adult and it IS his life. I wonder if he is angry like that. I mean, its common knowledge that lung cancer is still a really bad diagnosis if not terminal. Would you not be angry if you suddenly found out your life was most certainly coming to an end, abruptly? You could try to encourage him to see a psychologist, but in this state of anger, he probably wont. Although, as mentioned above, you said he had radiation to the brain. If he has any of the cancer in his brain, that could explain a lot of his attitude and behavior, and for that reason, you need to make sure his docs are aware. If he is confusing reality with dreams, that could either be cancer in the brain, or maybe the narcotics. I have very vivid dreams anyways, and when I am taking that amount of narcotics, it sometimes gets a lil fuzzy the difference between the two as well. Whatever the reason, this may be why he refuses to sleep even when he is tired. You should also find out if anything about his meds is steroidal. The add steroids to the chemo cocktail all the time today. Its in an effort to combat weight loss during chemo, but depending on the dose he is getting, that could be a source or this behavior.
6 :
Yes...the chemo treatments are bad. Cottage Cheese and Flax Oil Cures Cancer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSoddptWL0s Also prayer to Jesus heals, and there are alot of other Natural Cancer Cures that the government and the FDA don't want you to know about.
7 :
Both!My father had no cancer .still showed many of your fathers behaviour.You can be prepared for his behaviour. When my father was behaving angrily with all in my house,he didnot angry with me -I talked to make him instantly happy,then he will not have anger.More over if you do like that he will remember it and when ever he sees you he will stop anger that is mainly becuse every one likes calmness not quarrel.I didnot argue with my father that what he saw was dream,I also accepted it as real.Washing hand is called OCD many have it.Change his environment ,we did and stopped his anger.Priviously my father used to quarrel with my mother all night ,for him it is like day, then we used several tricks to calm him I will not accept that your father has become mean.. If your father who is aged and ill ,naturally with less self confidence and less strength to fight for life can be called as mean ,what we word we can use to call ourselves, is it not that your and mine behavior can also be called as more mean ,because we have more strength ,youthfulness, strength .Are we behaving such a great non mean life? My father also showed similar behavior and my brother and mother felt he has become mean. But I do not except .But whenever I entered his room his behavior used to change. -Since now you know what are his behavior, you can change all the objects in his room to soft material, change seating arrangements in room so that he cannot access children when he becomes angry. More over ,Doctors can wrap him with false bandages which are really not necessary for him ,but the bandages can be tied in such a way as he cannot do fast ,violent motions with his hands. But doctor will not know this type of wrapping ,so you have to consult a police sub inspector and learn how they prevent thief’s from violent moves & escapes .Do that for your father in the name of medical bandages. -Since he has been given radiation ,some other parts of brain might have also effected. Therefore do not think any of his character as bad. It is only medicine al effect .After few days he will be all right. Explain this thing to all your family members ,so that they will not feel bad about him ,less educated people do not know these hormone .chemical effect on brain and behavior You can write e mail messages to me through this section,by clicking on my profile
8 :
it depend on how one look at it... the us patent office has section window's that one has to make in Extending patent... yet the state ask that a pay sent be treated probing [ for free ]. on five Designs ageist cancer it not Always a easy choose... some the grow-ell's an grump's was before i found the SB-A's :$300,000.00 innovative Research grant's. personly i burn the anti -cancer drug's there no profit in it..
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Title : During cancer treatment, is it normal to be so mean
Description : During cancer treatment, is it normal to be so mean? My father was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (ext) in Dec 2008. After his 1st...