To think something is off here?

[Thegirlinthegreenscarf]

Way back early 2022 my colleague said that she got diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma brain cancer. Of course we all naturally felt so sorry for her and since have done everything we can to make sure that her life is easier. She has a husband and two young children. In 2024 my colleague said that she had surgery which removed most of the tumour but she was still terminally unwell.

The thing that's at the back of my mind is that she's never changed in appearance never looks unwell. Still puts in all the work hours etc.

Am I being unreasonable to think she's maybe playing us all?

That’s not what I said though, is it?

I said it’s almost impossible unless in the early stages.

It would certainly not be possible after three years, brain surgery, steroids, chemo and radio which is what the OP’s colleague is implying.

The point of my post is that there is not one size fits all option here and that there are many factors which would affect how well a person can be with a diagnosed Grade 4 GBM.And whilst I am glad that your relative had a period of ‘wellness’, if you read from other people’s experiences on here this is rarely the case.
It would seem by most other people’s personal experiences of GBM that it would be very hard to be ‘well’ and appear that way. That’s the point of my post.

But I never said there was one size fits all, simply that it is possible to appear well was my point. In fact you seem to be in agreement with that, so maybe just take care about undermining what people say unnecessarily.

My personal experience is that my BIL suddenly started having seizures. This is obviously noticeable if you are present. He lost his job due due to safety reasons. This is also noticeable. He had a biopsy following the discovery of a small lesion. The scar was visible as well as the few weeks of recovery. This is noticeable. He then Went through a few months of normality in his physical health once his seizures were medicated. You would not have noticed a problem unless you were close enough to him to notice that he had sold his car, lost his home and all his disability money through gambling and reckless decisions… something that was not a feature before and a clear sign that the tumor had progressed and was affecting his decision making. Follow that with mobility issues and speech impediment. A further scan revealed that the tumor was now the size of a peach. He had it removed and was treated with both radiation and chemo. He is a shadow of the person he was before and is dealing with a gradual decline in health with the latest being incontinence and lack of control of his bowels. All this whilst waiting for the tumor to regrow which we have been told is inevitable.

A very good friend of mine has Stage 4 rectal cancer . He's been living with it for nearly 5 tears.It's spread to his liver, half of which has been cut away. He's had numerous operations and has a lot of chemotherapy.
But to look at him, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with him. He hasn't lost any hair, or weight, keeps as active as possible, still drives and plays golf.

But this isn’t Glioblastoma. There are many cancers which people live with without outward signs. Most people here have concurred that GBM and its treatment would be very hard to disguise.

I've worked in oncology for over 25years. GBM treatment has come a long long way in that time, but it is still one of the most awful of cancers. It literally robs someone of who they are.
Presenting at grade4 is very serious, and I am surprised that it would take 10 days to have surgery. Most patients present to emergency after a seizure of some kind, or vision issues, falls, loss of speech, which is the first time they know something is wrong.
After surgery (which is almost always extensive and never complete), the person struggles with walking, talking, eating, memory etc etc. I typically see them ~4wks post-op and they start radiation at 6 weeks. Of course, individual situations vary, and there is now subcategories of glioblastomas, some of which do very well. But GBM is a fast killer. As I said, first it kills the person's sense of who they are, and then more slowly their body. It is truly truly horrific.
I would be amazed if your colleague actually had a GBM, if they are able to hold down a job at all, let alone function well.
At the very least, I would suspect they have had a more benign form of brain cancer removed, at worst I would suspect ACV.
At the end of the day, not much you can do without looking callous. I suppose you could play the concerned card and keep asking if they are in touch with cancer supports etc

You have misread. The 10 days was back to normal post surgery. It was supposedly 2 years from diagnosis to surgery.

What are the subcategories of glioblastoma? This was never mentioned to us.

My late partner had brain cancer, he was hospitalised for 5 days a month for 5 months for intensive chemotherapy and had days when he was really unwell and others days when he was relatively ok. He also had to have various other treatments and was off work for a considerable period of time, unfortunately the cancer returned within months. I also have 3 friends who have survived breast cancer, in each case the treatment and after care lasted several months.

My partner passed away from this three weeks ago after only being diagnosed three weeks previously.

Hi so brain cancer doesnt always look like other cancers. Alot of time people think they should look frail and weak. Thats the opposite with BC. The medicines lead to weight gain. Not always. I have no idea if your colleague is lying. But you could get occy health to request notes for her wellness and health sake.

Meanwhile here's a link to a fmaily thats sharing their story of brain cancer https://youtube.com/shorts/qm37Buoypiw?si=8IZbrHEkCJh_5Wc1

https://youtube.com/shorts/qm37Buoypiw?si=xhoFrK1gAz6C8jMw

Maybe informative.

Are you saying that she is saying she had brain surgery but her appearance definitely never changed?

Then she's definitely lying.

I knew a woman (not very well) who had a brain tumour. She had surgery and seemed to recover very quickly. She died a few years later.

Edit: I've read some previous posts and I suppose it wasn't GBM.

Glioblastoma specifically?