pixie1104 9 years ago
3 replies
Hello all,
I've just joined today. A good friend of mine has very recently been diagnosed with an aggressive high grade malignant brain tumour.
She is as yet unaware of the seriousness of her condition as her husband can't bring himself to tell her yet.
It has all happened very, very quickly from her being absolutely fine last month to now the last few days it looking like she may not have very long to live.
Her husband is struggling in many ways and he has shared updates with me that he hasn't even with family (I guess I was just in the right place at the right time) yet but I feel somewhat helpless and want to know if there are any more practical ways that I can help both my friend and her husband to cope during this horrific time?
Tomorrow she has her first follow up with an oncologist after being diagnosed via MRI in A&E about 3 weeks ago.
The whole process has atrocious in terms of how the hospitals involved have handled it and her husband has had to push, making phone calls and sending emails every step of the way to even get this appointment tomorrow - god only knows how long it would have been if he hadn't persisted.
In fact he only found out the serious nature of her tumour last Friday when he received a letter to his GP that he's been copied on - what a way to find out your wife is terminally ill - they should have been seen by a consultant before that but the hospital had lost her MRI and hadn't bothered to tell them.
I realise this is a very rambly, garbled post but I'm struggling myself with this news, it's hit me like a bombshell and I feel very angry towards the NHS for the way they've completely neglected my friend.
Any practical advice on how to deal with this and support them would be deeply appreciated.
Thanks