This is Joe, my husband, in 2012. At this point we still had three years to go before he passed. We were married for 36 years, some very difficult and tumultuous times but also some very good times as well. During the last 16 of those years (almost half!) I was his caregiver and advocate.
It started with a diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme, or a cancerous brain tumor. From that start he went through 2 craniotomies, whole brain radiation and Gamma Knife radiation. His scalp and skull started to deteriorate from the radiation and then came six or more (I lost count) small surgeries to close the scalp that continued to rot away. He also went through Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments for 53 days to try to help heal the scalp. He finally had two cranietomies (removal of the skull) one to repair and the second to repair the first one. While going through all this he also had COPD which complicated all surgeries. The end of his journey wasn’t cancer; he was cancer free. His brain was deteriorating just as his scalp was. The doctors could replace and heal the outside, but the brain was damaged. He finally succumbed to the strokes and seizures from the damage to his brain.
I wanted to introduce you to his story because my story is entwined with his. I can’t tell my story in these blogs without any reference to Joe. Would I change the past if I could? Yes, only so that Joe wouldn’t have gone through so much. What we went through together is what has molded me into the person I am today, and I’m still changing, trying to be the person the Lord would have me be.
If you have any questions about the treatments that Joe went through, please leave a comment or you can contact me through the email address listed to the right.
The Giving of Care 