The Ugly Face of Cancer

I found out recently that my closest and dearest friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had an operation last week, and the doctors feel they were able to remove 98% of it. As of this writing, pathology came back indicating it is an aggressive form of brain cancer.

The reason I share this is to remind you that you should not ignore those little headaches which seem to come on suddenly and disappear as quickly. In his case, he thought it was either a sinus or tension headache because it was in the back and bottom of his skull. Until, of course, something else more dramatic happened. The week before he had the surgery, he went to get his haircut and as the girl was washing his hair, he fell unconscious.

English: Space-occupying lesion correlating with left temporo-parietal metastatic infiltration associated with peritumoral edema. Brain MRI, same lesion seen by CT scan: File:CT brain tumor.jpg. Español: Lesion ocupante de espacio compatible con infiltración secundaria (metástasis) a nivel temporoparietal izquierda asociado con edema alrededor de la lesión. Resonancia magnética de cráneo; misma lesión por TAC por TAC de cráneo: File:CT brain tumor.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He was rushed to the hospital, and all the usual tests were done, CT, MRI, blood tests and so many others. He was told to see a renowned doctor, a wonderful man, who is my oncologist. The doctor took one look at the results of the tests and ordered him to immediately go to the hospital. The next morning, he had the surgery.

He is a young man, a year younger than I was when I was diagnosed. Yes, I had stage three colon cancer, but that is nothing compared to the brain. He has a great attitude, and like me, has become very spiritual in so many ways. He will need to have chemo and radiation, probably hydration, and a strong support system around him.

I have been friends with him and his wife since 1989, and she is a strong and powerful force in their family's life. She, along with their kids, has been through this before with her father. So, she knows what will transpire along the way. When I spoke with her after the surgery, she was upbeat and seemed to be concerned how I was doing. I, on the other hand, tried to focus the conversation back to him.

He and I met because our sons were in the same kindergarten class, and as luck would have it, our boys wanted to play soccer, so, the natural progression was for us to coach the team, as a team of us. When my son got married, of course his son was in the wedding party. As it should be.

I spoke with him on Saturday and he was joking with me like we were talking like we always did. But I also know, from my own experience, that fear of the unknown will make you reach for any positive rope you can find, until you are sure you have grabbed the right one. I threw it to him and he grabbed it.

He knows it will be a long and arduous journey for the next few months and maybe for the next year or so. He said he hopes he can be as strong as I was. I told him not to look to me for that example, but rather, to look inward, where the source of all of our strengths lies. As I said, I became very spiritual about this and my friend has become the same.

I have faith that he will recover, and while he may no longer be able to do the things he was used to doing, I told him that he should do whatever he is capable. The rest will come later.

As I said, I share this with you, because none of us are immortal and sometimes the smallest things if left unattended can become something so big it may be difficult to recover from, if not you, then a friend or loved one. Take care and be vigilant. Cancer will rear its ugly head when you least expect it and in a way that is masked until it is too late.

Go for those annual checkups; you will be glad you did.