Blip…

#31

Sunday 12^th September. Day #7 of cycle #5.

It was a beautiful and crisp morning, ideal for a run. I was finding my groove in preparation for the marathon having previously completed a couple of half marathons (13x miles) and an 18x mile run. So I popped the trainers on and did 6x miles. Short in comparison to previous runs. A faster pace in comparison in previous runs.

My mum had looked after Ava the night before and invited me to her house for a roast dinner with all the trimmings followed by a nice walk. Yes please!

I declined her offer of a lift in favour of a bus ride and a podcast. A perfect Sunday!

Arriving at the bus stop, I tried to get my phone out but kept missing my pocket. That’s what it felt like anyway.

Unfortunately I wasn’t missing, I realised my right hand was fully numb – my first sign of an imminent seizure.

My last generalised seizure was in April 2019 so this came as a real shock. I take my medication religiously. There were no other vital signs. 

I sat on a bench and closed my eyes, took deep breaths but the numbness progressed to pins and needles. I still carry a homemade card which explains my brain tumour epilepsy (including emergency contacts) and a Clobazam pill which aims to calm the brain activity. I was trying to get both out of my pocket but couldn’t do it. 

I saw a couple on the corner of the street and I called out for help (Faye and Aaron). They came over immediately as my hand started jerking and the pins and needles intensified.

My speech was slurring but I managed to tell them I was going to my mum’s house and her mobile number was on the card in my pocket. From that point my memory becomes very hazy. I remember sitting on the floor against the bus stop. I remember Faye with her arm around me reassuringly. I remember hearing Aaron say ‘I think we should call an ambulance’ and I remember the moment I started contorting and groaning before passing out.

Apparently, my parents had arrived before the seizure kicked in but I don’t remember them being there. Aaron had cushioned my head with his coat which is all you can do until a seizure stops. When it did, they put me in the recovery position and a mixture of sick and saliva spilled out of my mouth. My dad said my eyes were open but they were totally vacant. I was blue-lighted to the emergency department at Lewisham Hospital.

I was so lucky to find Aaron and Faye. Comically, they were only on that corner because their dog, Olive, had decided to take a s*** in the middle of the road!

Unfortunately, Aaron has a member of his family who has a brain tumour. The site and type of tumour is very different to mine but he is familiar with seizures and what to do. Faye was such a comfort and I can’t thank Olive enough for having that poo…! 

I don’t really remember anything about the next 6-7 hours. I was given a CT scan (apparently) which I don’t remember. My mum was with me (apparently) which I don’t remember.

Eventually I started stirring but was extremely groggy and confused. I was taken to a ward and remember looking at the clock and it was 9pm-ish. I got to the bus stop around 2pm. Never have I had such memory loss/lack of consciousness with any previous seizure and that was (and still is) quite worrying.

Once I was settled, a nurse phoned my mum and she was allowed to come into the ward. It was so nice to see her. My speech and general coherence were sketchy. My mum told me what happened. Captivating? Yes. Scary? Very.  

In the morning, I felt fine but my speech was still stuttering and certain word finding was difficult. The doctors paid a visit. They told me the CT scan showed no obvious reason why this seizure took place. Therefore a MRI was going to be arranged to dig a little deeper. 

Jo emailed the neuro-oncology CNS team on Sunday night and before 10am on Monday morning, they had replied. That team are absolutely amazing given their nurse to patient ratio. I am so grateful (and lucky). 

They told me to ditch the chemotherapy for the remainder of cycle #5 and they would chase the MRI from their side. For the time being I needed to sit tight in Lewisham. My speech and general well-being were getting better and after 2x nights, the doctors decided I was well enough to leave hospital and wait for my MRI at either Kings or Guys.

I have requested a copy of my medical notes from Lewisham to find out more information about the ambulance ride. I’m intrigued if the paramedics gave some form of sedative? It would be extremely comforting to have a potential reason why I was out for 6-7 hours. It’s a bit worrying if not.

So there you go…don’t mix chemotherapy with running! Only joking – there is no definite proof this was the cause.

However, if you’re offered a lift somewhere and choose the bus instead, you’re a FOOL…!  

Jx

Aaron, Faye and Olive live quite close to me and I have bumped into them 3x times within a week. They have been genuinely emotionally moments as I am so grateful to them. Right time, right place, right people. Was it fate? Or was it just Olive’s bowel movements? You decide…!