A history lesson

It occurred to me that a context may be needed and although I don’t intend to put my name on here if you do know me well then you’ll figure out who I am through details. What’s happened to me over the past 27 years is rare.

Here goes

My genetic Gran (on my dad’s side) died of a brain tumour 50 odd years ago, when they did an autopsy they found an adrenal gland tumour too.

As a young boy my dad kept fainting and they took him in and cut him open and found an adrenal gland tumour the size of a grapefruit. (no beta blockers or anything)

After I was born they found he had a brain tumour, which was removed. Then some clever Dr asked some questions and suggested that he might have Von Hippel Lindau disease. The clever Dr was right.

My parents had had 3 children. Dad got more tumours!

Ten or so years later they did a high risk/low risk test for the children. My brother and I were high risk.

My brother and I and my dad were screened annually for various tumours.

In 1996 they discovered a tumour on one of my brothers adrenal glands. They removed it. The operation was successful but then something else (they don’t know what) went wrong. His brain swelled and crushed inside his skull. He was brain dead. He was kept ‘alive’ for three days then they turned off the machines and he died.

The following year they found a tumour on one of my adrenal glands. It was removed. I didn’t die.

In 1999 I had my second adrenal gland removed

In 2000 I had a brain tumour removed

In 2001 I was told I had a tumour on my optic nerve

In 2003 (I think) they found that I had a crinkling of the maclia (I don’t think I’ve spelt that right)

In 2005 I was told I had a small tumour on my spine, later I was told there were 2.

I’d tell you all of my dad’s tumours but it’ll take too long.