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Alison Coulthard - Cancer Survivor

"I suffered really weird symptoms before my formal diagnosis I lost all basic life functions, balance stability basic skills such as being able to get dressed walking and talking!  A month of tablets injections more injections visits to the doctors - home visits by the doctor! Just confusion on every face I focused on but no signs of improvement.  I was so confused I found that I was not at all scared.

Then sickness! Loss of the use of my left side from sight to left leg and I decided it was time for an Accident and Emergency visit.  The date was 4th August 2009 my Mum and Dad's 25th wedding anniversary!  They had to come back from their holiday on day one no doubt a memorable anniversary for all the wrong reasons!

I was seen straight away and whisked away to have a cat scan. The poor big burly guy looked lost as I asked “did ya find out then?” “Errr yes ...a brain!!!” “Oh good” I joked “I've always said I had one.”

I was given just 12-14 months to live!

I was then pumped to the max with steroids and regained a bit of 'myself'. I was operated on the next day Wednesday I recall by the amazing Mr Spink.  I woke up in ICU with 26 staples in my head. I remember that the drain was a little uncomfortable. I then had radiotherapy sessions 5 times a week for six weeks. They designed a mask which got tighter as I expanded due to the steroids which was supposed to keep me quiet and still!!! Oh how wrong they were!

I remember seeing a very large metal robotic spider running around the ward and it managed to hide under a shelving unit! “Mmm” I thought... “That isn't real!”  Apparently it's perfectly normal to hallucinate :-) it did make me chuckle... I was also so calm. Spiders became a bit of a theme during the next year!

On the Friday I stopped taking painkillers. I went home on the Sunday it was my gorgeous husbands Birthday :-) he did joke that it was a tough decision whether to stay and watch British Superbikes on the telly or pick me up!

I earned a few nicknames in my short stay- Miracle Woman - Crazy Girl- Wonder Woman.

One Registrar paused and stood at the side of my bed cocked his head to the side looking puzzled and said Alison! You have just had INTENSIVE INVASIVE BRAIN SURGERY and you're sat there laughing!!!

I chuckled and said “what else should I do?” :-) and that is how I have remained!

They have removed 75% of my Grade 4 cancerous tumour. They are unable to remove any more as its too dangerous. I was told they couldn't cure me and their best hope was to stabalise it. I have had intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I pledged that I would accept hair loss and energy loss and nothing more! I’m still half bald and suffers from fatigue (posh tired) I asked at every meeting with my oncology doctor and specialist to keep raising my dosages as I was coping so well which they did to the maximum safe for me?

At the present moment my tumor is asleep and they’ve moved my MRI scans to four monthly instead of three monthly :-) I always say ssssh it's asleep and I hope and pray that it stays that way until a cure can be found.

I don’t currently undergo any treatment other than medication for my damaged joints.

Life is good and I consider herself very lucky I always appreciate the simple things in life and each day is a blessing and I consider each day extra as a gift given to me to create magical memories.

Courage is like a muscle that strengthens with use. There can be no courage without fear!"

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