wow! that looks bad !

Still Fathers Day. Woken after 2am to make sure that I can still wake up :-) Have my post-pee bladder scanned -- it is absolutely empty but starts to fill within ten minutes. So, good bladder emptying but hyperactive kidneys.

Having self-solved that interesting bladder condition, it's time to read up on brain cancer. Over to Wikipedia.

Wow! I would say that the news is bad! Capital B A D ! But that's just my own interpretation...

I read quickly. Most goes over my head. But "glioblastoma" seems to be a high probability analysis. At the very least, I'm male and exactly the right age. Dang.

Glioblastomas appear quickly. Cause seizures. They also cause other symptoms -- headaches, vomiting, mental confusion -- which I do not have. That's good but does not change the likelihood that I have a glioblastoma. I think.

Analysis starts with CT (computed tomography(?), or CAT scan), done. MRI scan gives a clearer picture (done). Hexa-something (steroid) treatment to reduce swelling, done, a pill every six hours. Asap surgical removal, done. Yep, you can see where Mr Lam's thoughts are going...

Surgical removal best result is 99% and it "will" regrow. Possibly/probably in a different part of the brain (metastizing). No definitely known causes of the glioblastoma. Most known is that it is very difficult to treat -- and impossible to cure. I have it, it will come back, it will kill me.

Oh well.

A table in Wikipedia -- if I understand it correctly -- tells me that I have a less than 50% chance of being alive a year from now. Down to 4% chance of living another five years. Wow!

Radiotherapy will help. Surgery helps control symptoms. Chemotherapy doesn't do much at all, glio is highly resistant, one drug may help when used along with radiotherapy.

On average: 12 to 15 months and then I will die. Wow! Perhaps I should have kept reading my science fiction book. Certainly no need to save it for later :-)

The only clear way to identify glioblastoma is by analysis ( was that "resection"?) of the tumour. Deb & I will meet with Lam on Thursday, he'll have the results. If he says, "glioblastoma", I'm in trouble. If he says anything else -- I'm laughing.

This may be a good time to worry... Well, no, not really. This is a good time to read, to sleep, to deny, to enjoy :-) Then I'll listen carefully on Thursday. And *then* be ready to worry! Until then, nothing at all that I can do. Mind you, nothing much I can do after, either...

Take a deep breath. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Love, enjoy, be proud of the family. Say, Hello friends & goodbye -- as I get in the last word :-) And Don't Panic.

No worries :-)

Certainly not till Thursday, anyway...

I'm glad to have read all that. I prefer to know (however lightweight my actual knowledge). So on Thursday I'm ready, senses alert for the key word "glioblastoma". Which will be the worst -- and most likely -- analysis.

Damn. That's really scaring the piss out of me :-) Time to go... again. Mumble mumble. Perhaps I'll call the nurse, ask for yet another cup of tea. Quick! more tea! I only have 12 months to drink it all ! rofl...

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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Now so much more than a simple holiday blog:  https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
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"We must learn from our past mistakes so that we can improve our new mistakes" … per Ginger Meggs