I have been seeing a 77 yo lady for the last two or so weeks who has just recently been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She comes across as a really sweet old lady at most of the time but then other times she was really agressive and confrontational with some of the nursing staff in particular. She was also quite confused at times, not knowing whether she was dreaming or awake. Because of her sudden changes in moods and he diagnosis of cancer the doctors thought that she may have some brain tumours in the frontal lobe. She refused for a few days to have the head CT but then finally changed her mind and nothing abnormal was found.
A few days later before the team meeting, the doctor was in talking to the patient and she was acting completely "normal" and having an appropriate conversation. As soon as the nurses came in she changed her manner completely and acted as if she didn't know where she was or who she was. As soon as they left she turned to the doctor and said "See, i'm completely fine. I just do that when those stupid nurses come in to get rid of them faster. Its just easier that way so they leave me alone."
This shocked me completely as she'd done this to me as well. She wasn't very compliant with physio because she thought she was fine to just sit there in bed all day and have ppl do whatever she asked them to, so she really didn't like it when i asked her to go for a walk and do some breathing exercises.
After the doctors told us what she was doing tho we all had a lot less sympathy for her, and the nurses refused to do things for that she could do for herself and i certainly didn't put up with her fake craziness anymore!
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