Hi to you all,
You probably haven't noticed but I have been a little quiet recently! As a few of you know I am currently in Cebu with Connie. We arrived last October with a planned return next month. Our purpose was to miss the British winter (sounds like a wise move) and to watch the construction of our lovely new home which is now going on in Minglanilla 15 Kms to the south of the city. A few months before we left we heard from one of our favourite nieces, Lalie, in one of her regular conversations with Connie, that she was suffering bad headaches. She then started having siezures and was taken into hospital in Ozamis, Mindanau. CT scans revealed a swelling in her brain, which was diagnosed as an infection which was operated upon, drained and treated by anti biotics. A biopsy was done which we were relieved to learn showed no sign of any tumour. She remained in hospital for many weeks, being watched by her 15 year old sister Fatima. Lalie is just 19 herself. They have an older sister, Malyn who is 22 and being supported through nursing college by us. However their Mum has not seen any of them since Fatima was born, because of a family breakup, and they have been brought up by their father. For all of 2007/8 their father was very sick, with what seemed like either lung cancer or TB, but was never properly diagnosed. Lalie cared for him until she went into hospital and, just after her operation, he died, leaving the girls efectively without parents and Malyn head of the family. There are some Uncles and Aunties around but they all have their own problems. Lalie was not told of her father's death until a week or two had passed and had to miss his funeral.
We decided to bring Lalie to Cebu to help her recovery. Connie went to Ozamis, sorted out all the remaining bills, spoke with the doctors and brought her here. We registered her with a neurologist at the local hospital and for a few weeks all seemed OK. She had the occasional little siezure but we were assured it was normal. She was on a cocktail of anti convulsive drugs plus steriods etc. Then the seizures got worse and she was taken back into hospital before Christmas, the drug levels increased and the biopsy samples rechecked both in Cebu and by a specialist in Manila. Again nothing serious could be traced but the doctors were clearly becoming increasingly concerned that her new CT and MRI scans were still showing lesions in her brain, and that maybe the sample taken was not truly representative. 10 days ago she underwent a second operation in the Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City and a biopsy analysis has revealed a Grade 3 tumour.
Lalie starts a course of radiotherapy tomorrow which will go on everyday for 6weeks. She remains on a heavy dose of drugs, which are controlling the seizures but have some side effects too. She gets very tired. Her treatment will not cure her, but should slow down its progression and enable her to enjoy her life to the full.
Lalie in some ways is lucky as I am able to support her treatment which, as I am sure you can appreciate, costs a considerable sum of money here in the Philippines. I feel for those patients I am seeing who are offered help, but have to decline because they cannot afford it.
This has not been a good trip for several reasons, Lalie's situation obviously being the most important. Just to complete my tale of woe though let me tell you what has happened back at home. We rented our UK house, via an agent, to a nice retired couple for the period we were away. I wanted to do this more for the security of having someone living there and not leaving it empty as during weekends and evenings it is a little isolated. All was going well, no real problems, until we received advice that the Police and an ambulance were in attendance at our home. Later we learned that the wife had a history of depression and had hung herself! Now the husband has moved out, leaving the place unoccupied, not that I blame him, and neither of us are looking forward to going back now.
Thanks for listening and please keep Lalie in your thoughts in the coming weeks.
Originally Posted by Mrs.JMajor
