My wife died of a Glioblastoma Multiforme…an inoperable, fast-growing, very aggressive brain tumour. We had been together for 44 years and had three children. She was an ex professional ballet dancer so she super fit, and had an astonishing sense of rhythm, a wonderful memory and very good spacial sense, She was very intelligent and active, and travelled the world alone as a ballet examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. She was highly competent.
However a few months before she was diagnosed I noticed a few odd things. She became a bit aggressive over nothings. She complained of “not feeling right” but couldn’t elaborate. She forgot Spanish (her third language). She seemed withdrawn.
The doctor ordered a load of tests which all said she was as fit as a butcher’s dog. Finally an MRI revealed the truth. It was already at stage 4 and they could do nothing. Palliative care.
She became more withdrawn. Finally she just went pretty blank. She stopped talking and moving. Five months after diagnosis she stopped living.
It was a really terrible and very swift decline. She was 59, and she didn’t live to see her grandchildren. A few more years would have made a big difference, but she had no pain and the only discomfort she had was from the drugs that tried without success to slow the progression of her cancer.