Monday, April 2, 2007

Introduction in English




Normally I was having FIDI’s DSP workshop with the enthusiastic industry team that came to Belgium to sit together for a few days and develop some important stepstones for the Destination Services. Managing these new FIDI projects and meeting with excited friends in moving: I looked very much forward to it!
But… the day before, in the office, my colleague Magda had to witness me going through a ‘grand mal’ epileptic attack – something I never had in my entire life. I don’t know anything from it as I was completely unconscious but it was sold with all features inclusive and Magda, Sylvie, Christiane went through these 10 minutes of anxiety and fear of a worst case scenario as it was as if I was not going to breath anymore. However, epilepsy gets you back in a normal shape after the attack so when the doctor in the hospital told me I had to stay home for a few days and rest, my initial reaction was ‘not possible – I have an important workshop to go to’… In the end, I only joined the DSP team for a drink and a chat – being a fair deal … (And the team had a very good workshop of course!)

The question after an epilepsy is obviously why somebody gets this suddenly at my age… To find out I planned a scan of the head a few weeks later (hospitals sometimes have waiting lists of investigations… - unlike planning of moves?).



I never reached that date planned though. February 18, my husband had to drive me into the emergency of the hospital as I was totally lost in pain: I had lost my sight the evening before for 20 minutes, I had terrible headaches in the right side of my head (had been building up in the last week), I was vomiting, could not think and memorize anything anymore, and in the car did not feel my hand anymore… This was bad. In the hospital, they did some tests with me like ‘look at my nose and then tell me which of the two raised hands I am moving’ – I thought all of my answers were well answered, afterwards I heard I did not answer half and fell nearly ‘asleep’ of pain and the ones I answered were totally wrong. I got my scan of the head (so quickly!) and it appeared that part of my brain was not working anymore… I had an oedeem (water) in the head pushing the brain, the eye and two brain tumours. The doctors came to tell us this bad news and we had 30 minutes to say goodbye and prepare for the urgent surgery that had to be done (asap = now!). We were Just-In-Time – my status was life-threatening and needed urgent action. I had the luck of having a wonderful surgeant who did a great job with precision – of course risks of this kind of surgery are different than a knee or arm. All went very well. And my recovery in the intensive care days and the days afterwards was good. I ended with a big horseshoe scarve of about 25 cm on my head (covered by my hair) – but isn’t a horseshoe a sign of good luck (in Belgium it is!)?!

I ‘ll need the good luck in my next steps as well – in further investigations they discovered that these two brain tumours were maligne metastases from my skin cancer of 7 years ago (in 2000 I had one little spot removed that appeared to be a maligne melanome and my body/liver/lungs were regularly checked every 3 months – 6 months – year for the 5 years after. I was declared completely healthy again spring 2005). Recently however, they notice some people getting metastases in the brains after melanomes (a new ‘trend’?).



I have been checked on each and every part of my body and I have the good luck of not having any visible other traces in belly/organs, lungs, skin, bones, … and all parts in the head are completely and safely removed. The only other thing now found is a gland at my sternum which also appears to be a maligne metastase.
That is why I am now getting a chemo-cure which I started March 19.
After the chemo, I know I need a few other steps like preventive radiation of the head etc. but I take this all step-by-step now.
I will enter sometimes what I am going through or how I feel here as many people are caring. My diary will have Flemish (Dutch) and English parts but input is not all day as it all depends on my energy and focus of the day. Thanks again, FIDI Friends, for all the attentions I received from you all!

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