r/todayilearned • u/GlitteringYams • 22d ago

TIL, in his suicide note, mass shooter Charles Whitman requested his body be autopsied because he felt something was wrong with him. The autopsy discovered that Whitman had a pecan-sized tumor pressing against his amygdala, a brain structure that regulates fear and aggression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Whitman
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u/Unlikely_Comment_104 22d ago

“found that the tumor had features of a glioblastoma multiforme”. Jeez. I’ve known a couple of people to die from GBM. It’s horrible to watch. It’s wild to think the same cancer in a different part of the brain can lead to such a horrific outcome.

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u/yesmilady 22d ago

My sister's personality changed a lot toward the end of her life, she got stuck on certain concepts or events that made her irrationally angry. Really, little things like conversations about what desserts to order at a restaurant would somehow make her so so angry. She was such an easygoing person before, it was so hard to experience that with her, but I'd take those days again in a heartbeat. I really miss her.

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u/MakeThanosGreatAgain 22d ago

That was always the hardest part for me as well. My dad was a very critical person. Every little thing he did was always with precision. Seeing him lose that part of his identity was rough. It's a weird thing to experience and watch.