I’ve decided to fight this brain tumour and get my old life back

What can a person say two months before their 55th birthday, when their life falls apart in an instant?

That they love their family, their children, the place where they live, their friends and the time spent with them. Going on trips and cycling, listening to music, reading books and having long chats with their children.

Suddenly, everything changed.

Headaches, fatigue, slurred speech. Hospital, a CT scan and the diagnosis – a brain tumour. It all happened very quickly. Two weeks later, I was already having my operation at the Neurosurgery Clinic. After the operation, my speech improved and I walked the length and breadth of the whole Clinic several times a day to get myself into the best possible shape.

In mid-July, we found out that my condition was glioblastoma, which is the most aggressive form of brain tumour and has an average survival time of 10–15 months.

The next two days were awful.

I decided that I would fight the disease for as long as I could. I’m starting radiotherapy and chemotherapy in August; I’m following a strict diet and trying to maintain my weight and fitness alongside my inner balance and good spirits. However, further treatment is not available in Hungary.

Immunotherapy in Germany

Following those terrible days, I read that an immunotherapy treatment is available in Germany which has shown good results in patients with glioblastoma. The personalised vaccine therapy, which lasts for months, supports the immune system in the fight against cancer. 

I decided to take part in the programme myself.