Angol
When We Are Called Upon
We were called upon to be caregivers for my sister Sue, who developed a L4 Glioblastoma Multiforme cancerous brain tumor sometimes referred to as 'Wildtype'. This is a degenerative, usually terminal illness, such as Alzheimer's, Dementia, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinsons and others, opposed to sudden events such as a heart attack or stroke. These diseases develop slowly at first until they become obvious to all. The Wildtype is much quicker but it is unknown how long she had it and how it may have been affecting her behavior and moods.
This true story is a detailed narrative about how all this came to be, about the unexpected difficulties that caregivers may experience, and about how to avoid some of the pitfalls. The descriptions are vivid and include two 'nightmare' periods where things got very difficult for both her and us as caregivers. All is revealed through both dialogue and description. One of the intrigues in the story is trying to determine if it is Sue talking to us or if it is the tumor talking to us. The early chapters discuss our childhood and Sue as a young adult, so the reader can make their own interpretation.
She also had COPD. Her early symptoms were anxiety and difficulty breathing. The tumor was found while attempting to treat these conditions. What called upon us to come to her immediately, from across country, was very mild aphasia which went away after the tumor was removed but would eventually return with a vengeance. Her fear of death and dying would destroy her quality of life.
