Cancer survivor celebrates cycle of life

BY NATHAN BEAUMONT

Just over a year ago Judy Burgess was lying on an operating table talking to surgeons as they removed a tumour from her brain.

The operation was a success but there were several side effects. She lost all co-ordination: simple tasks such as brushing her teeth, writing and holding a knife and fork felt "weird". She also went from being right handed to left handed.

As she learned to talk again she had to put up with people thinking she was a "cabbage".

Initially, Ms Burgess was given little chance of surviving the cancer. But the plucky Wanganui woman was not ready to die. Now the 44-year-old solo mother of two teenagers is in remission and back doing what she loves – cycling.

At the weekend she cycled till she was exhausted, finishing the 160-kilometre Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge in about eight hours.

She was awarded the Dan Dunne Memorial Trophy, given to athletes who participate in the race "against the odds". Mr Dunne died of cancer.

"It's quite bizarre to think someone can operate in your brain while you are awake. People think it's horrific, but everyone at Wellington Hospital was brilliant. They have given me a second chance at life and I will be forever grateful," she said.

"I have two beautiful children and that makes you want to try and get better and live a long, long time. They really motivated me."

The cycle race capped off a turbulent 14 months for Ms Burgess, which started when she visited her doctor in October last year, complaining of earache and fatigue.

A tumour was discovered in the centre of her brain, but a surgeon said it was too risky to operate.

Not content with the diagnosis, she found a saviour in Wellington neurosurgeon Ales Aliashkevich, who was willing to operate. But she had to be awake for the nine-hour craniotomy, in November last year.

Mr Aliashkevich said operating on awake patients allowed surgeons to remove the maximum amount of a tumour without interfering with critical parts of the brain, because the patient could talk to them.

"The operation is about trying to be as aggressive as possible within the safety limits. It can be a fine balance."

Ms Burgess started the operation asleep so she didn't have to hear her head being drilled open.

Later, two of the surgical team kept her calm by chatting to her.

Afterwards, the biggest challenge was learning to talk again. Simple things such as ordering a coffee became "embarrassing".

"When I was asked what coffee I wanted and I couldn't answer, the woman looked at me as if I was a cabbage. It was a horrible feeling, but it made me more determined to recover.

"I am almost back to normal but sometimes I still struggle with certain words."

Ms Burgess, who started cycling four years ago, said her co-ordination was also bad after the surgery, and it was months before she could think about riding again.

But slowly her skills came back and in July she began to ride hundreds of kilometres in preparation for the Taupo race.

"When I crossed the finish line it was such an amazing feeling. It was pure joy, especially knowing what I had gone through. It was the end of a chapter in my life."

BRAIN SURGERY

* The first awake craniotomy on a patient at Wellington Hospital was carried out in July last year. The hospital now does the operation about once every two months.

* A neuropsychologist and a speech-language therapist prepared Ms Burgess for surgery. They checked she was psychologically ready, practised relaxation techniques and rehearsed the tests she would do during surgery.

* On the day of the operation, her head was clamped in a frame and she was given a general anaesthetic – she started the operation asleep so she did not have to listen to the sound of her head being drilled open. Once asleep, she was given a local anaesthetic.

* Surgeons cut a hole in the top of her head. Once her brain was exposed, a special machine mapped the tumour's boundaries.

* After the machine had finished mapping, clinicians put labels on different parts of the brain to mark the ridges. Electrodes were also attached to record electrical activity and detect any seizures. Surgeons then stimulated parts of her brain to check her movement.

* The general anaesthetic was withdrawn and Ms Burgess soon woke up. The local anaesthetic stopped her feeling pain.

* She was given tasks to carry out, including counting to 20, repeating phrases and identifying pictures. While she was doing this, the surgeons stimulated different parts of her brain.

- © Fairfax NZ News