needed. Paul and Karen own everything jointly; upon his death, it’s all hers anyway. She certainly gets the kids. His life insurance policy is for only $250,000. They have about $40,000 in savings. With three children under the age of eight, the future is anything but secure. Karen secretly begins checking out employment opportunities on the internet. Their minister stops by every other day for a devotion and prayer.
Chapter 4
The End
Six months later, the weakness in Paul’s left side increases dramatically. He cannot grasp objects with his left hand. He drags his left foot when walking and cannot move around without assistance. He notices he cannot concentrate for more than a few seconds. His short-term memory is shot. An MR scan shows the tumor is back and growing rapidly (below).
MR showing recurrent tumor
It also reveals damage in his brain compatible with the effects of radiation. His neurosurgeon offers the option of another surgery to remove the recurrent tumor.
Paul and Karen discuss this for several days. A second operation is more likely to damage the brain. There is no certainty that the tumor will not recur again, and again. They are losing hope, and their thoughts of miracles are fading rapidly. Paul could almost throw in the towel, opt for a few final weeks with pain medication, and suffer as little as possible to the end. Karen, though, still believes in luck.
The second operation is similar to the first. The visible portions of the tumor are removed, and Paul’s skull is put back together. When he awakens, though, the weakness in his left side is much worse. He is transferred to a rehabilitation center. After three weeks of intense therapy, his condition does not improve. He can no longer stand without assistance, nor walk without a walker. His left hand is essentially useless. He is discharged home, where he arrives in a wheelchair. The chemotherapy has been ineffective and is terminated. Paul takes steroids in an effort to reduce swelling in his brain.
At this point, Paul begins saying goodbye to his family and friends. He bravely accepts the fact that his days are numbered, and he wishes to say farewell on his terms. As bad as he looks, he knows that things will only get worse.
In a heart-wrenching scene, he and Karen finally tell the children that their father is about to leave them.
The steroids are not working and are cut off. He’s left with only some powerful narcotics to deaden the horrible headaches, which occur with increasing severity.
Paul prays for a quick and painless end, but this doesn’t happen. He slowly deteriorates and becomes increasingly confused and disoriented. He loses almost all consciousness and his ability to move. He is bedridden and requires around-the-clock care for feeding and bathing. Karen sleepwalks through the days and nights, thoroughly drained, but trying gamely to shield his condition from the children as much as possible. Eight months after his seizure, Paul has completely checked out, but his heart still manages to beat. Karen finally begins praying for a merciful end.
Nine months after the first surgery, he passes away, at the age of 36.
The total cost of his treatment and care is approximately $300,000.
Chapter 5
The Alternative
Paul was born in 1980, ten years too early. Had he been born in 1990 and diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 35, in 2025, his story could be rewritten as follows:
That same Wednesday morning, Karen hears a crash in the bathroom, and she finds Paul on the floor in a grand mal seizure. He’s taken to the ER and admitted to the hospital. An MR scan is performed with molecular imaging, a more advanced scan than was available ten years earlier.
Based on the scan, the neurosurgeon, with virtual certainty, makes a diagnosis of a glioblastoma and explains the prognosis and the treatment options, including focused ultrasound therapy. The size and location of Paul’s tumor make it amenable to treatment with focused
Chapter 4
The End
Six months later, the weakness in Paul’s left side increases dramatically. He cannot grasp objects with his left hand. He drags his left foot when walking and cannot move around without assistance. He notices he cannot concentrate for more than a few seconds. His short-term memory is shot. An MR scan shows the tumor is back and growing rapidly (below).
MR showing recurrent tumor
It also reveals damage in his brain compatible with the effects of radiation. His neurosurgeon offers the option of another surgery to remove the recurrent tumor.
Paul and Karen discuss this for several days. A second operation is more likely to damage the brain. There is no certainty that the tumor will not recur again, and again. They are losing hope, and their thoughts of miracles are fading rapidly. Paul could almost throw in the towel, opt for a few final weeks with pain medication, and suffer as little as possible to the end. Karen, though, still believes in luck.
The second operation is similar to the first. The visible portions of the tumor are removed, and Paul’s skull is put back together. When he awakens, though, the weakness in his left side is much worse. He is transferred to a rehabilitation center. After three weeks of intense therapy, his condition does not improve. He can no longer stand without assistance, nor walk without a walker. His left hand is essentially useless. He is discharged home, where he arrives in a wheelchair. The chemotherapy has been ineffective and is terminated. Paul takes steroids in an effort to reduce swelling in his brain.
At this point, Paul begins saying goodbye to his family and friends. He bravely accepts the fact that his days are numbered, and he wishes to say farewell on his terms. As bad as he looks, he knows that things will only get worse.
In a heart-wrenching scene, he and Karen finally tell the children that their father is about to leave them.
The steroids are not working and are cut off. He’s left with only some powerful narcotics to deaden the horrible headaches, which occur with increasing severity.
Paul prays for a quick and painless end, but this doesn’t happen. He slowly deteriorates and becomes increasingly confused and disoriented. He loses almost all consciousness and his ability to move. He is bedridden and requires around-the-clock care for feeding and bathing. Karen sleepwalks through the days and nights, thoroughly drained, but trying gamely to shield his condition from the children as much as possible. Eight months after his seizure, Paul has completely checked out, but his heart still manages to beat. Karen finally begins praying for a merciful end.
Nine months after the first surgery, he passes away, at the age of 36.
The total cost of his treatment and care is approximately $300,000.
Chapter 5
The Alternative
Paul was born in 1980, ten years too early. Had he been born in 1990 and diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 35, in 2025, his story could be rewritten as follows:
That same Wednesday morning, Karen hears a crash in the bathroom, and she finds Paul on the floor in a grand mal seizure. He’s taken to the ER and admitted to the hospital. An MR scan is performed with molecular imaging, a more advanced scan than was available ten years earlier.
Based on the scan, the neurosurgeon, with virtual certainty, makes a diagnosis of a glioblastoma and explains the prognosis and the treatment options, including focused ultrasound therapy. The size and location of Paul’s tumor make it amenable to treatment with focused
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