My Mother Regretted Agreeing to the Gamma Knife Procedure: A Cancer Story by Tina Norberg

In response to my call for cancer stories: Tina Norberg of Reno, Nevada sent me her mother’s cancer story.

Read on…

She was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on her scalp in 2001. The cancer was removed, along with about ¼ inch of bone from the top of her head. She also had chemotherapy. The cancer was in remission for quite a long time, about 5 years, which was a miracle considering they only gave her 9 months to live when originally diagnosed.

When the cancer returned, it returned internally, in the center of her brain. It was inoperable, and somehow the decision was made to try the new “Gamma Knife” — they were clear that this was a one time only thing since the radiation is so concentrated. It had to work this time.

Well, she ended up having seizures after the procedure that left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. I guess you could technically say it helped, since she just died in May of this year. But the last year of her life was miserable, with her slowly losing more use of her left side, her verbal skills, and her memory.

She was hospitalized with various blood clots, strokes, and swelling of the scar tissue from the tumor the procedure killed. She was completely dependent on others the last 9 months of her life, and once the hospice people were called in she only lived two more months.

I’m honored that I was there to help take care of her, and I hope I provided some comfort. We spent her last days reading from the bible, and talking about the people she would get to see once she arrived in heaven.

The one thing that I was left with was this-she regretted the decision to have the Gamma Knife procedure. She would have rather died without me, or anyone else, ever having to clean her after using the restroom, or helping her change her adult diaper.

I know different things are important to different people, but I would recommend thinking long and hard before ever agreeing to have that procedure done. To some people, dying with dignity is important, and if that experience could have been whittled down to less time, my mother would have been ok with it.

I hope this makes sense-thanks for letting me vent.

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If you have a cancer story to tell, please email me at gloria.g@b5media.com