3. Glioblast-oh-shit
Ted was gone – Phew!
No more episodes, and no real recovery needed from my surgery! Now all I had to do was wait for my biopsy results. An appointment with my surgeon was set for 15 days post-surgery. Now I had a date to look forward to and to plan ahead for, whatever the result. I spent the weeks post-surgery with my girlfriend, my family, and taking it easy while I was still getting over major surgery on my brain.
Biopsy results day came by – my mum and I set off to my appointment to discuss what the findings of my biopsy. As ever my surgeon was clear and compassionate, as he delivered the news about ‘the big C’ – it was cancer. I prepared myself for this sort of news, so I wasn’t completely shocked. For sure, I wish it was benign, but I had done my research and was prepared to fight whatever battle was ahead.
My surgeon explained that it was 100% a cancerous tumour, and further treatment was required to kill off any cancer cells remaining – I’d be referred to oncology to discuss this treatment. Although clearly cancer, there was no final answer as of yet to “what type of cancer do I have?”. My tumour was sent to a lab in Leeds to discover exactly what was/is in my head. A meeting with my oncology team was set for the following Friday.
That week, I researched many different types of brain cancer, trying to understand what I could expect from the treatment and what to hear in my next appointment. During my research, I stumbled across Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most aggressive brain cancer known, and the outlook for patients isn’t great. “I hope that’s not what I have!” I remember saying to myself.
When I met with my oncology team, they revealed that my cancer was found to be a Glioblastoma (Glioblastoma Multiforme, GBM).
I jinxed it – Fuck.
Treatment for this cancer is to kill off what was left after surgery. Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy is the usual routine, though with current treatments it’s incurable – this cancer will 100% come back. Nobody knows when it’ll come back, or where in my head it will be – Hopefully it’s in a good number of years, and in an easy to treat location. Who knows, they may have found a cure – The least we can be is hopeful and stay positive?
Treatment started on Tuesday the 15th of October. 6 weeks of Radiotherapy + Chemotherapy (tablet form), then a month off to recover, followed by 6 months of increased dose Chemotherapy. Fun fun fun!
I’m not going to lie, this is scary stuff. I’m scared shitless that I’ll not make it through. I have a team of amazing, loving and caring people around me, and I owe my positive attitude to them – They give me a life worth fighting for, and I’ll fight anything and everything to stay with them as long as I can.
