Symptoms

I guess I should have started part two of my blog with this addition....I will chalk that one up to brain damage :-)

During the summer of 2009 the first signs and symptoms appeared.

I was under more stress than usual at work because it was the time of year colleagues were having summer holidays. I put down the light headaches and slight balance problems to overwork and extra stresses at work.

Later on in the autumn I had feelings of being pulled to the ground which was a weird sensation. I assumed they were all work stress related and hoped they would ease once my hours returned to normal.

The headaches only increased along with my balance and coordination issues. My energy levels and motivation alarmed me and finally I called my doctor for an appointment.

My blood was checked with no anomalies and after a series of neurology tests which I passed I was diagnosed with stress in my neck muscles and possible inner ear issues causing balance problems.

My doctor sent me to physiotherapy and after each session my symptoms increased and after three sessions I returned to my doctor.

Once again neurology tests were performed and no severe issues were noted except for my awkward walk. During this appointment my doctor called my Oncologist in Gent for advice and a CT scan was planned the following week.

The initial results of the CT scan were clear although a few days later I received a call from my Oncologist saying that the CT scan results had been checked by a second radiologist and damage was found in the Cerebellum.

An MRI scan was arranged the following day as this would give a more detailed view of the situation.

After a few days of nail biting my Oncologist confirmed that a 2cm mass had been found in the Cerebellum and an appointment was set up with Neurology.

I was planning on jetting off to Lanzarote a few days later and this unfortunately had to be cancelled on advice from Neurology as flying could be detrimental to my health.

As my neurology appointment was planned a week later I made great use of my week off from work to visit family back in the UK.

This trip did not turn out the way I had planned and after severe headaches I ended up being hospitalized for a night in the Hull Royal Infirmary.

An MRI revealed fluid on the brain and steroids were prescribed to reduce the swelling and control my symptoms.

Neurology wanted to remove the tumour and after a few discussions they understood my wishes to follow my treatment plan set up in Belgium.

I had to sign myself out of the hospital as they would not accept any responsibility for anything going wrong on my trip back home.

So my visit home was abruptly shortened and John and I returned back to Holland via Calais.

The neurology appointment confirmed all the details of the operation which was to be performed on the 16th of Dec 2009.