An Optune^® patient’s firsthand experience with GBM tumor surgery

A surprise diagnosis

I was diagnosed with glioblastoma shortly after my 45^th birthday. Prior to my diagnosis, I experienced symptoms of brief memory loss, and I had a hard time finding the words to say what I wanted. These symptoms slowly progressed to a point where I knew I needed to see a doctor. I experienced no other symptoms, so I was confused as to what could be wrong with me. At first, I thought this sudden memory loss came with “old age”¾I had just turned 40 after all. These symptoms continued for about five years.

I finally made the decision to see a doctor after I started waking up in the morning with a tightness in my brain—kind of like when you’re getting your blood pressure taken and you feel those few seconds of tightness on your arm before the monitor loosens again. I didn’t experience this all day, but I knew something wasn’t right.

When I went to see my doctor, he took a quick MRI during our visit and before I knew it, I was being airlifted to the hospital.

I didn’t have a clue at the time that I could possibly have cancer.

Surgery and transition to Optune

Two days after arriving at the hospital, I had surgery to remove a tumor the size of a fist that had grown in my brain. There was no time to have the tumor biopsied. The neurosurgeon removed as much of the cancerous tissue as he could. My oncologist presented Optune to me as a potential treatment option after I finished radiation and chemotherapy. I didn’t really think there was any reason not to go for it. I was willing to try anything that could possibly help treat my GBM.

When I first started using Optune, it was easy for me to get tired of having it on my head all the time. This was also during a time when I was still recovering from my surgery, so I was relearning how to talk and read. Meanwhile, I was adjusting to using something on my head all the time. I think I was frustrated by everything that was happening during that time.

It took about four months for me to really get used to using Optune every day. At first, my sister helped me change my arrays each time and it was frustrating because I would have to wait for her to be available. Eventually though, I learned how to do them myself and I think that made the experience a lot more manageable.

Looking ahead

I’m still fairly young, so I try to do some of the things with Optune I used to do before starting treatment with Optune. I like to exercise when I can, with approval from my doctor, and I try to stay on my feet as much as possible. When I do exercise, I unplug the wires from Optune but keep the arrays on my head. This way Optune doesn’t get in the way, and I don’t have to worry about changing the arrays every single time I exercise.

And while exercising this way works for me, I’d like to encourage other Optune users to just be positive. Try to do things that make you happy, despite the circumstances. Find a routine that works best for you and don’t be afraid to communicate with your doctor if you have any thoughts or concerns about your treatment.