By Gillian from the hospice
I spoke to one of the doctors here this morning. The scan report is not ready yet. But following yesterday’s rough day they have taken a sneak preview at the raw scan. The preliminary diagnosis is a secondary brain tumour at the back of the skull. That would explain the neck ache, slurred speech and disturbed vision that he has had for the past few days.
Treatment options are limited. Steroids to reduce the swelling is the main choice. They started him on that last night and he seems a little less confused today. I have asked for a prognosis and have not been given one yet, although it was suggested that I “prepare for a serious conversation with work”.
{ 11 } Comments
So sorry it’s bad news again, on top of everything else. It all seems so unfair.
Oh Gillian, I am so sorry about the bad news. My thoughts are with you
I’m so sorry Gillian, please send chris my love. You are both in my thoughts xxxxxxxxx
Both
I don’t really know what to say but wanted you to know that I am thinking of you, and let me know if I can be of any help, day or night. Sam x
Gillian, sorry its bad news again.
Dear Gillian,
Please pass on the my love to Chris at a good time along with every one elses. I hope that the steriods do something to help him. David is right about how unfair it is.
Best,
N
So sorry C&G
There are no words.
Take heart you both
So very sorry to hear this on top of the already extremely strenuous time you’d been having in any case. I do hope that there is something that can be done to give Chris some calm and a degree of comfort, and you some kind of peace of mind.
Gillian & Chris, So sorry to hear the news. Hopefully they can manage to find medication to aleviate the symptoms and provide some relief. You are both very much in our thoughts.
Dear Both,
We’re so sorry to hear the news. We’ll do all we can to support you both.
R&F.
Hi Chris,
I would like explain why David’s selection of the word unfair resonated with me. Its because of who you are. I think of you as one of life’s innocents. Your heart is very much bigger than your brain – and you are hardly stupid 🙂 You are blessed with many child like qualities:
You have a deep capacity for love – Gillian is never far from your thoughts. The thing I remember the most is the Chinese postcards on which you wrote a poem for her on the back of each. Pure, thoughtful (but not at all sickly sweet) romance.
Your sense of right and wrong both morally and intellectuality/scientifically. You have a strong internal instinct for these and will fight for the truth to be revealed. And you are less swayed than the average man about what is right or wrong based on who is saying it.
Your bravery and sense of purpose – the talk you gave about your brake down for example took immense courage, self awareness and honesty. And as always your humility helped get the message across.
Your inquisitiveness and desire to try something a different way just for the thrill of the freshness of something new and to see how it stands up to your expectations or what others have made out to be the case.
I think your greatest handicap to career progress at work was your modesty. So many of us get drawn into the niff-naff of politics and self promotion but you never do. But this is one of your charms.
At work and in my personal life most of the male associates I have a positive relationship with tend to feel like some mix of father and friend. You on the other hand were a friend who sometimes also brought out my patriarchal side. I hope you get what I am saying and that I am not coming across as condersending – written words aren’t the best means to explain myself.
Its the combination of these sorts of qualities that makes us rather than you more deserving of the attention of what you face. That’s why its unfair. I know statistically these things have to happen to someone, and we all have too shorter time, but that still doesn’t excuse it.
Two other words leap from the other posts on this page that followed David’s: comfort and relief. I Sincerely hope and will pray that these will come better for you and Gillian now the professionals have the scan results to work with.
Yours,
N