The neurosurgeon had said the operation on Richard’s resurgent brain tumour had been a big success, and I do not doubt that. But I think they’ve been careful to understate the seriousness of the situation.

I’m seriously wondering if Richard will ever recover properly.

When I spoke to his wife again, she repeatedly said to me that the tumour they removed this time was the biggest yet, and she said, again it was the size of a tennis ball! (I still find it hard to believe, but she was adamant).

What is frightening about Richard’s highly malignant tumour is the rate at which it came back. He used to go for scans every 3 months to check whether it is growing and nothing was seen. Then he began getting strange symptoms in October and they scanned again and said that in their opinion the tumour started growing again in September.

What is shocking is the rate at which this hideous thing grew. He had a strange swelling on his head, which caused him sometimes to get these “attacks” where he suddenly loses the ability to move his left arm and sometimes even his left leg. His tumour is in the right side of his brain.

They had wanted to operate but Richard had a nasty cold and they said they can’t operate while he is in that state. They gave him a few days to recover and then scheduled the operation for friday. But then cancelled it to reschedule for monday. Looking back, those few days could have made all the difference.

On the weekend, he got more severe attacks and became partially paralysed on the left side of his body due to the pressure/interference of the tumour. They took him into hospital, put him on drips to relieve the pressure on his brain and some of his feeling returned.

They operated the monday and we heard afterwards that it was the biggest the tumour had ever been. Yet it had grown from virtually nothing to this size in about 2 1/2 months – despite other treatment, cancer pills, etc.

What is concerning me is the paralysis. They said the paralysis was caused by the pressure on the brain and our understanding was that once the tumour is removed his feeling would return to the left side of his body. But the op was on monday, a week ago and since then, Richard has never been able to move the left side of his body. They put him in a wheelchair and sent him home.

Richard told me prior to his op that half the medical team had said they should NOT operate on him. But the neurosurgeon decided at the end to override them and operate anyway. Richard said to me that in effect, half the team had “written him off”. The neurosurgeon had said he would keep cutting out the tumour for as long as it can keep Richard alive. Perhaps if I had been more cognisant of what was being said, I’d have realised how extremely serious this situation could be.

But I thought, due to all the ongoing treatment and cancer pills that the tumour cannot grow back that fast – especially after being held at bay for almost 3 years. Apparently I am very wrong!

Looking back, it could be that the team was against operating because they felt it best to let him die. But the neurosurgeon did not.

Richard went home and it was very uncomfortable with him only being able to move half his body. Strangely, his head and speech and neck were not affected. But today he was rushed back to hospital. His wife and her father took him and rushed him back, a 3 1/2 hour journey by car to East London! Something seems to have gone wrong. He seems to have become very anxious and was asking people not to leave him alone. Then the decision was taken to take him straight back to hospital – which as I say is no mean feat for those poor people who have the patience of saints.

I’ve not been able to contact them to find out exactly what happened which caused them to decide to rush him back. Was it just an anxiety attack or what?

The bizarre (and possibly only GOOD thing) about this hideous cancer is that Richard is not in pain.

But I wonder if, due to the delays because of his cold, etc … that losing those critical few days, possibly allowed this hideous cancer to get into the portion of his brain where it affects the motor controls of his body. Did the neurosurgeon cut out parts of his brain which could paralyse him? (They had warned before that cutting the root of the cancer could turn Richard into a cabbage – and as usual they did not cut out the root).

He did say to me that they had said his feeling on the left side of his body would return. But were they serious? Or how long would it have taken? The fact that it did not return within a week made me begin to wonder just how long this could take and would he EVER get all of it back?

I do know that the brain can repair itself sometimes. My mother suffered small strokes earlier this year which damaged the portion of her brain which controls her balance. A specialist told her she had suffered 5 or so minor strokes and he could see the scars on a scan. He told her to wait 2 months because the brain would repair itself. And it did. Without any medication her balance returned perfectly. So could Richard’s paralysis recede after a few months??

So at the time of writing, I don’t know more. I will keep my phone with me and hope that his wife calls me some time – any time.

Or maybe Richard’s luck is finally running out. The horrific comeback of this tumour after all this time shocks me. This is such a monster. I did email his wife the story about what those Israeli and German scientists were doing and the doctors who treated Richard were very interested in seeing it. But, perhaps its all too late. We’ll have to wait and see.

Some things are in God’s hands and there is nothing more one can do. We all tried our best, and none more so than his wife and her parents. Whatever happens next is the will of God. Jan.