[I would like to thank all the people who sent me emails and messages of support and sympathy for my nephew, Richard, since his cancer came back.

It was discovered just over a week ago. They were hoping to wait 3 weeks before operating, but the surgeon (the same one who operated last time), said Richard must come in as soon as possible.

His original cancer had been discovered just over 2 years ago. At the time, I did a bit of research on the internet and discovered that even with treatment it normally kills you in 8-10 months. Only 10% of people survive 2 years.

For a month prior to his cancer originally being discovered he complained of the most terrible headaches which eventually drove him almost beserk. Then they discovered this deadly tumour in his head.

Looking back, I think Richard probably only had 2-3 months to live at the time and the op saved his life undoubtedly. They put a new type of wafer in his head which takes 6-8 months to dissolve. I believe this new treatment is what saved his life.

He went for radiation and all that too.

With the reoccurrence of the tumour, our hopes faded of him ever being properly cured, and it seems as if he is destined to have a hell of a time ahead of him.

The brain surgeon told him this morning, prior to the op, that everytime this tumour comes back, he will operate and cut it out. But we know from last time, that the surgeon said, that he could not cut it all out, because some of it is in a part of the brain that if he operates there, Richard will either become a cabbage or he will never wake up again. The surgeon said he will not do anything to damage Richard. So he will cut out what he can.

He admitted, that after the amount of cancer which they cut out last time, they never expected Richard to live this long. He said that this cancer will keep coming back (because of those “roots” which he can’t touch). But they will operate each time.

So Richard was in a terrible state this morning prior to the op, not to mention his wife and two children: his little son of 10, and little daughter of 3.

The operation lasted about 3 hours, and he is still unconscious. They put him in ICU, and have a machine which will “breathe” for him. Apparently, this is to give his brain a rest. There is a nurse by his side at all times. They say that sometime tonight they will get him to start breathing again by himself and he will wake up some time tomorrow morning.

He was in good health, and strong otherwise.

We hope that he doesn’t suffer any brain damage or impairment from the op. After his first op, he had some problems with his short term memory, but otherwise was ok.

Richard turned 40 in November, and other than this, was as fit as a fiddle. But this damned tumour is a real bastard.

Some people have written to my saying he must get “oxygen” treatment. I will look into it. Other than that, it looks as if it will be a hell of a battle for him which he will ultimately lose.

The surgeon told him this morning, that if they don’t operate, he will die within 6 months. He told him that the longest any of their patients had lived with this type of cancer, was 1 year.

To a degree, the extreme seriousness of his situation, was somewhat hidden from him after the last op. And he went for regular scans but no tumour was spotted until just over a week ago. But now that it has recurred, it seems as if there is no beating this hideous bastard of a disease. Jan]