Hi everyone,

Finally found the strength today to have a Google and a scroll through forums after avoiding the pull of the Internet for weeks.

My dad (62) had two grand mal seizures in February and March, the latter of which broke his back in two places. After waiting an exruciating amount of time for an MRI he finally found out in April that he has a grade IV glioma.

He had a craniotomy soon after (it having been established that it was a primary tumour), and has recovered remarkably well all considered. He came home the next day with no side effects, neural damage etc. The subsequent biopsy has shown the tumour to be a glioblastoma.

He will be starting a palliative course of chemo and radiotherapy on 30th May, and has been told the average life expectancy is eighteen months.

I am twenty-five years old, no siblings, and am very close to my dad. This has all happened very fast and I'm struggling to 'get used to things'. I've moved back home from where I was living (though my room will be there for me when I get back) and studying for my PhD, so am now distance learning. I've also left my job for the time being (though, again, they've kindly kept the position for me) because I know I would have regretted not spending this time with him. One of the hardest things has been having to leave the therapist I was seeing once a week – I've struggled with my mental health for years and she was a real help and comfort in the weeks following the first seizure.

My mum has Multiple Sclerosis and he is her primary carer, so this is a bit of a change up, and very sudden. He's always been healthy (a marathon runner, for one thing!) and the broken back is in some ways even more frustrating for him right now

I'm determined to make the most of however much time I have left with him, but the thought of my dad not being there as I grow older is really tough.

So I suppose this is a general introduction and a quest to connect with other kids-but-not-young-children going through something similar. I'm doing a lot of household tasks and trying to balance my studies and other 'normal' aspects of my life with this, which often still feels surreal and temporary and like it's happening to somebody else.

Thank you for reading – unsure how to sign this off!

Kat