Persistant Sickness and Balance Problem.

[DrWazzock]

Well it never rains but it pours.

For the record, and in the hope that this might help others, it has turned out to be a brain tumour, as revealed by an MRI scan, encroaching on the part of the brain responsible for balance. Most probably originated from a skin melanoma but can't be sure until it's removed which should hopefully be done soon as thankfully it's still possibly removable by surgery without too much collateral damage.

The lesson is that if you have had cancer elsewhere in your body, and you experience any kind of brain related impairment or problem then it's worth considering the possibility of some kind of brain tumour and getting yourself checked up, so it would seem, but I'm no expert and anything I write shouldn't be considered any sort of advice. Leave that to the professionals.

Thank goodness for the locum Doctor who suspected this problem and confirmed it.

 

[milkloss]

Well it never rains but it pours.

For the record, and in the hope that this might help others, it has turned out to be a brain tumour, as revealed by an MRI scan, encroaching on the part of the brain responsible for balance. Most probably originated from a skin melanoma but can't be sure until it's removed which should hopefully be done soon as thankfully it's still possibly removable by surgery without too much collateral damage.

The lesson is that if you have had cancer elsewhere in your body, and you experience any kind of brain related impairment or problem then it's worth considering the possibility of some kind of brain tumour and getting yourself checked up, so it would seem, but I'm no expert and anything I write shouldn't be considered any sort of advice. Leave that to the professionals.

Thank goodness for the locum Doctor who suspected this problem and confirmed it.

Like for the last sentence. Pass my best on to your relative.

 

[Sharpy]

Thank you for sharing this with us and I hope all goes well.

 

[Alicecow]

So sorry to hear this. Hope the operation & treatment sort him out. You probably feel like you are on an out of control roller coaster that it going at top speed very slowly. They probably won't know which type (of 200) it is until they take it out. Cancer Research UK website is very good for info & in plain English. Also Macmillan & The Brain Tumour Charity (see below).
Be strong. Let him be a bit in charge, at home, on the farm & with health decisions. Talk to him. Ask him lots of questions about everything, especially about small things & what life was like when he was growing up. Record these things for posterity. Go places. Do stuff. There's more to life than work. Life is short, even 80+ years is too short when it's someone you love.

 

[DrWazzock]

Thank you very much for your support. Much appreciated. It is a roller coaster in slow motion. All yesterday on a drip waiting for the op, then cancelled late in the day due to an incoming emergency. A lot of boredom, frustration and anticipation. But the best is being done so we are grateful. The high point for him is the hospital food which he loves. He still has all his marbles so far, reminding us of the vehicles that need an MOT, bills that need paying and all the other administrative stuff that he does. He still has an eagle eye on the bank balance as well!

 

[Kidds]

Wishing you and yours the best.

 

[Alicecow]

That's good that he's 'with it', a positive approach and attitude is exactly what he needs.
@Jerry may be able to help with how to encourage him along and other stuff.

 

[Jerry]

That's good that he's 'with it', a positive approach and attitude is exactly what he needs.
@Jerry may be able to help with how to encourage him along and other stuff.

I’ll reply properly when I’m in the office later

 

[Jerry]

@DrWazzock Im very sorry to hear of your situation at present, I know exactly how you feel.

For a bit of back ground I lost my Dad to a brain tumor at the end of last summer, diagnosed in June.

He showed similar symptoms to those above, balance being the key one that really affected him.

Sadly due to my fathers age and the position/size of the tumor it was inoperable. Palliative care kicked of to make his final months as comfortable as possible.

I am very happy to hear he has his mental faculties, my dad lost them for a period at the outset but steroids helped in the short term and he was as bright as a button until about 3 weeks before he died.

Keep him involved, keep him stimulated with discussion and updating him on what is going on on the farm. I took great pleasure in getting my Dad into the pickup and taking him around the farm for a drive. Towards the end his movement was severely compromised and it could take him 30 mins to get into the pick up. But he loved to see what was going on and to offer his thoughts.

We also made an effort to get the grand kids around as much as we could and to take him out for trips as much as possible.

If you need any special equipment then speak to your local red cross office. They hire out all sorts of things for little more than a small donation to them. They have some great aids and it will make both his and your life better. Dont try and struggle on, get the help you and he needs.

Speak to organisations like Marie Curie, they are experts in caring for people with such conditions, they will come out and do a home visit to suggest things that may help, both physically and mentally.

Take care of yourself and other family members, these things arnt easy. Make sure you all talk and keep each other in the loop.

I have my fingers and toes crossed that the op is successful, if you ever want to talk things through then drop me a pm and I'll give you my number. Might help to off load to a total stranger.

 

[DrWazzock]

Thanks. At the moment he is more concerned that we are getting on with spring work than anything else. He is on steroids to keep the inflammation and swelling down. A bit frustrating that he is still waiting for the op but he is being well looked after. We are trying our best to balance visiting with the farm work and so far things are OK. Most important thing is his quality of life. His focus is still the running of the farm and it does keep him going. He is just frustrated that he isn't out there doing it anymore but as he says, he is 84 and has had a good run, not that it's over yet.

 

[Alicecow]

Will he be having chemo &/or radio afterwards? (Have to wait for the wound to heal first - that slow mo roller coaster again).

 

[DrWazzock]

Will he be having chemo &/or radio afterwards? (Have to wait for the wound to heal first - that slow mo roller coaster again).

Not sure at the moment. A little bit concerned that there seems to be very loose tie up between different hospitals and departments and no centrally accessible file on his tests and treatments. All a bit disjointed. When he is referred on for treatment, those referring him don't seem to get feedback of what is happening to him next, test results seem to go into black holes and have to be repeated at every stage and they have to ask us how its going, and what is being done. It looks like a system of individuals trying their best under difficult circumstances with no overall coordination or management of information.

 

[Alicecow]

That's not good. Does he have a Macmillan nurse assigned to him?
It sounds like you are going to have to stay on their backs and keep pushing and asking questions (e.g. "What's next?" ) so he doesn't slip between the cracks. Take a writing pad everywhere with you, make note of what they say. They might not like it, but you are there for him, not for them. That said, doing it nicely will get you further than being bolshy, but I'm sure bolshy doesn't apply to you anyhow

 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

So sorry to hear... I hope all goes well

 

[DrWazzock]

They got most of the tumour out but had to leave some of it because it was round an artery, but hope to destroy it with chemo or radio. The operation for him was the easy bit. The days and days of waiting, laid up, frustrated etc have been very difficult for him and have weakened him and demoralised him. But everyday is a bonus and he is a lot happier now to have been transferred back to a hospital nearer home for rehabilitation. Not lost his marbles yet either which is a blessing. Still a few projects he wants to complete before he considers that his work is done. I think that's what keeps him going.

 

[Jerry]

They got most of the tumour out but had to leave some of it because it was round an artery, but hope to destroy it with chemo or radio. The operation for him was the easy bit. The days and days of waiting, laid up, frustrated etc have been very difficult for him and have weakened him and demoralised him. But everyday is a bonus and he is a lot happier now to have been transferred back to a hospital nearer home for rehabilitation. Not lost his marbles yet either which is a blessing. Still a few projects he wants to complete before he considers that his work is done. I think that's what keeps him going.

Well done him and you guys.

Fingers crossed...

 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

They got most of the tumour out but had to leave some of it because it was round an artery, but hope to destroy it with chemo or radio. The operation for him was the easy bit. The days and days of waiting, laid up, frustrated etc have been very difficult for him and have weakened him and demoralised him. But everyday is a bonus and he is a lot happier now to have been transferred back to a hospital nearer home for rehabilitation. Not lost his marbles yet either which is a blessing. Still a few projects he wants to complete before he considers that his work is done. I think that's what keeps him going.

That's great news, glad the op went well. I hope he gets better soon! x

 

[Alicecow]

They got most of the tumour out but had to leave some of it because it was round an artery, but hope to destroy it with chemo or radio. The operation for him was the easy bit. The days and days of waiting, laid up, frustrated etc have been very difficult for him and have weakened him and demoralised him. But everyday is a bonus and he is a lot happier now to have been transferred back to a hospital nearer home for rehabilitation. Not lost his marbles yet either which is a blessing. Still a few projects he wants to complete before he considers that his work is done. I think that's what keeps him going.

How is he doing now? Waiting for each step is very difficult.

 

[DrWazzock]

How is he doing now? Waiting for each step is very difficult.

He is still in hospital and too weak for chemo or radiotherapy, but he is not in pain, is still mentally with it, and they say that medically he is fine. He can't get out of bed unassisted due to weakness but a lot of this is due to lying in bed for weeks on end, waiting for nothing to happen.

He is supposed to be coming home this week which he is greatly looking forward too. How things develop after that is unknown but they say it was the type of cancer that spreads easily round your body, though scans haven't detected it anywhere else, which is something.

That's all we know. It's a bit of a muddle to be honest but if he gets some pleasure from being out of hospital and back home for a few weeks, months or whatever then that will be better than day after day spent in hospital where he has had no treatment since the op to remove the tumour weeks ago. The health service is doing its best but everything seems to work incredibly slowly but I suppose it's better he comes home with everything that is needed in place.

Thanks for asking. He's tough old boot and has made some miraculous comebacks before. Time will tell but we will do our utmost to get him going again. Thankfully the thinking part of his brain is still 100%, but the balance section is damaged. They say though that's it possible the brain will adapt to use other parts to relearn this process, I hope so.

Been quite a tiring time as you tend to feel for them lying there day after day. Visit when we can. Keeping busy to avoid despondency with the whole situation setting in, on top of weather problems, etc. Just a bit of normal life would be nice.

 

[Alicecow]

You, & he, will have the whole range of emotions churning around. Hope you get him sorted out.
Keep asking questions & pushing for answers.
Without wishing to sound pessimistic or morbid, make sure all i 's are dotted & t's are crossed as anything can happen at any time.
Hope all goes well for you all.