I can’t recall most of what the consultant said, only the howling wind outside, the rain on his window and a few of the phrases: ‘It doesn’t look brilliant… About the size of a lemon…’
It was 19 August 2016. Earlier that day, we’d been for a ‘precautionary’ MRI the cause of the mild numbness in the she’d had since June.
Helen was t, slim, a healthy eater, a lifelong non-smoker. She was 43, with no previous serious illnesses. Now, however, she had a brain tumour.
The doctor wanted to admit Helen immediately. ‘Our girls are 13 and 15. I need to tell them myself,’ she said.
‘OK, but I want you admitted tonight, even if it’s late,’ he stressed.
Driving home, we kept asking each other ‘What are we going to tell them?’
By the time we pulled into the drive, we’d made the decision that we’d tell them the truth together.
‘Mum has a brain tumour,’ I said. ‘She has to go into hospital, now.’
Daisy, our 15-year-old, asked ‘Is Mum going to die?’ I told her that we’re all going to die, but that hopefully Mum wasn’t going to die any time soon.
Helen went under the knife at about 8am on 1 September for surgery that lasted six hours. It was some time after 3pm that I got the news that she was awake and the operation had gone well.
There are lots of different types of malignant brain tumour, and in the week or so that it took to analyse the excised tissue, I knew far too much about them all.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 04, 2021-Ausgabe von WOMAN'S OWN.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 04, 2021-Ausgabe von WOMAN'S OWN.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
MAGNIFICENT MAURITIUS
Pe This istand in the ut 7% Indian Ocean feels Sa: like paradise, says Charlotte Richards
I HATE BEING A MUM
One woman, 55, reveals why she resents all of the sacrifices she made to be a mother
SLASH SUGAR AND SLIM
Trying to lose weight? With these clever tweaks, you don’t have to miss out on the seasonal sweet stuff
DAWN HARPER ASK THE DOCTOR
Doctor Dawn Harper answers all your questions
SEX HORRORS SOLVED!
Stop physical intimacy from turning into the stuff of nightmares with our expert advice
THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE WITH CANCER
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours each year in the UK. Two mums tell us how the cruel disease changed their lives forever
DAWN NEESOM MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on marriage, tea and Absolutely Fabulous!
TRAPPED INSIDE MY HOME WITH A MONSTER
Gemma Williams, 46, thought she'd die at the hands of her partner
AMANDA TO REPLACE CAT?
With increasing criticism directed at the This Morning host, are producers ready to call in a familiar face?
Get the GOSS
Your round-up of this week's biggest showbiz stories