03/07/2026
Two years ago today I was debating what to do with my Dad….. Something wasn’t right and I had a strong gut feeling that I should take him to A&E. He’d experienced a very strange smell that overwhelmed him. But only 3 times. Fortunately I was there to see one and it was very far from normal. No-one else in the room could smell it. Then we pooled together the evidence…… his voice had got weaker, his facial expressions more blank, his walking a little bit more shuffling. When he laughed one side of his face didn’t move so well. Perhaps a stroke? But more of a slow burner. As physios we ask Red Flag Questions to rule out serious pathology. His flags had started waving very red.
Two years on, he shouldn’t still be with us but he is. He has had exceptional care from the Neuroncology team at Brighton and we will be forever grateful. So I wanted to post to say our NHS is brilliant and when the chips are really down, they are phenomenal but they are overstretched and in places quite broken. But without them, we would suddenly realise how stranded we are.
And secondly, spend time with your loved ones and listen if something is worrying them. Watch them and if you can’t be with them, use the power of video messaging. I very much doubt I would have noticed Dad’s symptoms if I was just talking on the phone. Like so many brain tumour sufferers his first obvious symptom could have been a seizure, and possibly whilst driving.
Tomorrow we will celebrate a massive milestone and feel forever blessed
