ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: dominator8 on October 06, 2006, 05:40:51 pm
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Has anyone experienced personality changes (other than the light-hearted "I'm tumorless!" feeling) after translab surgery?
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dominator: an experience such a "brain surgery" can cause personality changes, who couold help but change somewhat after such asn experience. What type of change do you mean? I know I was a fairly happy outgoing person who had times of "the blues" and times of "bad days" pre-op and then about a month post -op I fell into a great depression and began to socially isolate due to my changed outward expereience and I began to have great anxiety, I was having "flashback" memories of being on the respirator etc.
After a period of time I did become very angry and maybe it was displaced sometimes, I tried to keep it in check.
Can you eleborate on the personality changes you are referring to?
Kathleen
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Not translab here, but had a day within the first two weeks where I was completely bummed out for no reason at all. Coming back to work, felt a little overwhelmed after being gone for so long and having so much change, but that's normal.
Other than that, it's so nice to be past all this...just waiting for the bills to come in heh. Can now go back to being constantly pissed off at my disgusting and immature office mate and not have to worry about the tumor to boot ;D
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My husband says that my personality has changed somewhat. I do not "suffer fools" well. In other words, I don't have a lot of patience with people and their dumb complaints etc. He says it is a subtle change, but definitely there.
:P
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I did not have trans lab, but I feel and most people tell me I am alot more patient and easy going than I was before surgery.
cheryl
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I don't tolerate petty griping from people any more. I am no hero, but the only thing worse that I could go through is a cancer. So I consider myself very lucky and I have a lot more ability to step back and let others argue about the issues. Mellow, I think is what some could call it! I can't change the world but I can change me.
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Other than the frustration of the headaches and depression, I am a lot more mellow my self. I feel very lucky to be alive, and I agree to Boppie. I think that there is no point in agruing now, that life is just so precious why waste it being upset or uspetting others.
It has changed me, for the better :)
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Dominator,
After surgery i had a personality change so my family and friends tell me. I have bad mood swings, I also am not as happy go lucky as i used to be. My boyfriend said that he loved the old me the best because i was happy go lucky, optimistic personality, and never let anything bother me. Now i am moody, depressed, and i let every little thing bother me all the time. I also experienced a big memory loss. My mom will talk about my past and something i can remember and others i can't. sometimes i can remember a little piece of the event. I struggle all the time with forgetfulness that i never used to be this way. It scares me.
I understand exactly where you are coming from..
ratthebrat
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Post surgery I had some major mood swings. Stress or chaos seemed to be the trigger. As long as things were calm I was fine. It got so bad I ended up going on effexor to help stablize me. From what I understand it's a normal by product of brain surgery as so much is going on while you're healing. I also don't suffer fools well. I seem to take a hard stance and have little tolerance for whiners who complain their life sucks. I'm more than likely to tell them to get off the butt and fix it. I don't stress over the small stuff..just not worth it. So my niece spilled her drink 3 times..yelling isn't going to fix it. She actually asked me how come I wasn't mad at her for spilling. Er um, because I was the one tickling you when you kicked it over ;D
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dominator8 :
I also have less patience these days for complainers and those who make poor life choices, then whine about the negative consequences that often causes. Some of my (post-op) lowered tolerance for fools is probably stress-related and, as my AN 'journey' is finally ending, successfully - I'm happy to say - I'm trying to be more forgiving and simply ignore foolish and/or ignorant people as much as possible, which should help lower my stress levels considerably!.
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I used to be a pretty easy going person. Since the surgery I have mood swings that can happen in a nano second. I have a panic disorder I didn't have before, I have anxiety attacks and wow, the list goes on, but as my almost fifteen year granddaughter put it, "Grandma, we don't care if you are grumpy and mean, we are just happy to still have you." So life is good.
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I as well seem to have less patience for foolishness around me since my surgery.The people around me say I have changed but it is mainly with people I work with rather than my family and people around me that I love.I feel like I am a more relaxed "mom" but tougher "boss" at work.Maybe, it has to do with being able to" control" the things around you.While during the whole diagnosis/surgery/recovery "control" is really out of your hands...
I think that after such a life altering experience things are bound to change.I am trying to be more aware of my moods while at work and think that as time goes on they are starting to balance out more.
Tracey
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Personality changes? Oh Yeah. Them. Well, I used to be a well-adjusted wife and grandma of 2 cute little boys and now I think I'm a swashbuckling lady pirate sailing the seven seas with a crew of wenches and scallywags plundering chocolate tankers and causing mayhem! Go Figure!!!!!
Capt Deb 8)
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How did you get well adjusted? Darn, I didn't ever want to grow up enough to be well-adjusted. I think I like the lady pirate!! ::)
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I went from being very outgoing and social to being very reclusive. I don't much care for socail functions anymore, and even have a hard time in small groups because of the SSD and vertigo. However, Captain Deb managed to get me out on a ship wearin pirate gear. Go figure?
Seriously, Brain surgery no doubt will change a person.
Patti UT
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Brendalu-Oh yeah, the swashbuckler in me is way more fun--gotta just channel your inner pirate--the ballsey broad who don't take no crap and never, ever feels sorry for herself!!!!
Capt Deb 8)
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hi guys - mood changes, yes. I find myself getting tearful when I talk to someone about the surgery. It really bothers me because I've always been a strong, independent person, and hearing my voice start to crack & my eye fill up with tears, jeez..... (it doesn't help being in perimenapause either!!!!!!!!!). Been 4 months since 2cm. tumor removed SO, with subsequent facial paralysis, total hearing loss right side, etc, etc. I hope there comes a time soon when I won't have this emotional edge going on. At least I know I'm not alone. Nancy
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Hi Nancy. 4 mionths really isn't very long to be adjusted to the changes that come from having AN surgery. My first surgery was soon to be 5 years ago and I felt like it took a year to recover physically and another one emotionally so hang in there. Plus I had a good recovery compared to some. One adjusts in time to the new you and it does get better. I had surgery again this spring for a facial neuroma and the nerve was severed this time and a nerve from my neck put in so am living with the paralysis again so know it's not fun. I have been very lucky that I do not have facial numbness though. I do have it around my ear since the nerve was removed for the graft below my ear and it does feel weird.
I was found to be NF2 so who knows what lies ahead. Cheryl R.
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Hi Cheryl - thanks for the support. This forum is great, I was so lost before getting a computer in August (had surg. 6/06), felt so alone. Since hooking up here, I can't believe how many people go thru this. Last week at work I ran into a dr. I hadn't seen for awhile, she was surprised to see me with right sided facial paralysis, when I told her it was an AN, she said 2 of her pt's recently were diagnosed with the same. I was glad to be able to tell her about the forum. Nancy
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I think that the surgery does change your personality somewhat, but I also think that you can be whoever you want to be. My stroke (on 9/30/08) was probably the best think to happen to me. I quit feeling sorry for myself and got back to loving life and enjoying each moment. I don't look at what I can't do any more, I look at what I am doing and doing well. I don't get up in the morning thinking about what I can put off until tomorrow.
Brenda
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Good question. I am convinced that you can't go through a life-changing experience without changing. I feel "different" than I was before and I've asked the people close to me what they think. My husband and dear friend think I have lost my tolerance/patience for ignorance and stupidity and am more likely to be direct. I thought I was direct before! My boss says it seems as if I have more wisdom. Is that a euphemism for old??? :D
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My boss says it seems as if I have more wisdom. Is that a euphemism for old??? :D
Nah! I get that a lot and I'm not old (if compared to Methuselah). :D
Jim
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Im glade it's just not me....
After my surgery I have gone from anxiey, to deppression, to anger. and back...
aftet 4 months of recovery i can honstly say I'm much better. its like the dark cloud has lifted or i finally realized how fortunate i am to be alive. i count my blessings every day. and don't sweat the small stuff...
MY older sister doesn't understand the change in me and how relaxed i have become.
She came over the other day just to yell at me for not calling her back write away. she thought i was avoiding her...
I told her that i was still recovering from surgry and get very tired and sometimes need to take naps.
sometimes people forget that i had brain surgery 4 mounths ago because i look so good... and you can't tell...
so she is nagging me like older sisters sometimes can and trying to get me all worked up for no reason at all...
I found out that i too lost my tolerancs for foolishness behavior. it is such a waist of time.
she got no reaction from me ..
this confused her becasue we would usually have a big disagreement and one of us would storm off.
I just told her that i was given another chance at life and i am gonna seize evey moment.............look at it and really see it........
live it..... and never give in to negativity .... ( well its a try anyway.)
konnie
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Konnie,
I feel very much the same as you, I don't sweat the small stuff anymore. When upsetting things happen I look at them in a new way and then decide whether they are worth ruining my mood or day. I have become more tolerant and usually more patient, although I sometimes have to take a deep breath and count to 10. I am more thankful for the little things in life and count my blessings on a regular basis. I don't avoid reality but do embrace more of the things in life that make me happy and look more for reasons to be happy.
Wendy