Alana and Isaac

Alana After Surgery

During Chemo

Alana was diagnosed with an Astrocytoma in 2019. Husband Isaac shares their journey since diagnosis, surgery and treatment, and the unique way he is helping others with brain cancer through a novel fundraising idea.

One morning, four months after our marriage in September 2019, my wife Alana fell out of bed. She was experiencing a full grand mal seizure (her first ever). I called 000 straight away (thankfully the ambulance didn't take long) and she was rushed to Barwon Health.

After completing scans, they found a golf ball sized tumour. It was during this time she started having seizures in her right hand (30+ a day - fingers clench closed tight and the thumb twitches) and these would usually last no more than 20 seconds. Sometimes when the seizures were going for longer, her mouth would start to twitch and she was unable to communicate.

We were allowed to go back home with the knowledge that we would be having a meeting with specialist doctors in Melbourne in a week, but Alana's seizures continued. One night she had a longer seizure and we didn't think it was best to stay home in case something happened.

We went back to Barwon Health and they transferred us to the Alfred Hospital. From here, they ran further tests and gave her better medication to help control the seizures, but they still continued.

After a week or so of more tests, Alana was back at home with a plan to return to the Alfred to discuss surgery in the upcoming weeks.

The day came and midway through her third appointment she had another seizure through to her mouth. They decided to admit her on the spot. She didn't leave the hospital until about a month after surgery. This occurred on the 8th of November 2019.

Alana's brain surgery was on the 13th November 2019. It was a 3-4 hour operation and took place early in the morning. Her surgery time actually got brought forward and was so sudden that I had to run from the hotel down the road to get there in time. I made it to the prep room just in time to say our 'I love you's' and for me to give her hope she'll be ok.

Thankfully, she was fine, coming out of the elevator after surgery still high on drugs thinking she was inside a spaceship. During her recovery, they ran tests on the partially (majority) removed tumour, a grade 2-3 Astrocytoma. I remember them taking the bandage off, seeing the staples on her scalp and thinking it looked pretty metal. Alana wasn't too amused when they eventually removed said staples (there might have been a swear word or two).

Recovery seemed to take forever, but thankfully, I was able to be there nearly every day. Some days I would stay until midnight and there would be no update or doctors visits. Eventually, I had to go back to work full time, but Alana had her family stay with her when I couldn't.

After a while in recovery, Alana was given the all clear to return home. They had further determined the best medication she needed and she was able to go from 30+ seizures a day to around 5 minor seizures.

Not long after returning home, we started to visit the Andrew Love centre for Radiotherapy. Six weeks, five days a week with weekends off. After this was over, she started chemo medication, one a day for the first five weekdays of the month. This was for 12 months.

Since day one, every follow up MRI has been positive and has always remained stable. She's very lucky and we're very thankful for all the support from the doctors, nurses and staff that helped on this journey. It's been a long road, but now Alana rarely has seizures. Sometimes she can go months without one, other times they occur once a week. Lately, there hasn't been one for about a month.

Alana was midway through studying floristy at The Gordon Tafe when her first seizure occurred. She had to temporarily postpone her studies which was hard, but she got through it, finishing the course in 2021.

Alana was awarded a unique floristy award alongside her certificate, and has since started her own business, working on weddings. She can't drive until she's one year seizure free, so along with being her full time carer and designated car driver, I'm also the flower truck man. It makes it tricky to manage my own full time job, but it makes her happy. She's still on anti seizure medication and takes about four pills in the morning and four at night every day.

Since my wife was diagnosed with cancer almost four years ago, I have not taken the time for myself to get a haircut. Part of that was due to covid, but also I wanted to spend as much time with Alana as possible as she went through treatment. All these years on, it's so long now I even get mistaken for a lady in public.

I have decided to cut my hair and donate it to Sustainable Salons. Sustainable Salons partners with hairdressers across Australia, including Geelong, to take ponytail donations. They then use these donations to help make wigs for those with hair-loss-related diseases.

I encourage other carers or people in the brain cancer community to consider also donating their ponytails, so cancer patients experiencing hair loss can receive their very own wig.

For anyone wishing to raise funds for Peace of Mind in the lead up to their ponytail donation to Sustainable Salons, check out our fundraising page to set up your own campaign. All funds raised go directly towards supporting patients, carers and families impacted by a brain cancer diagnosis.

Isaac and Alana at Alana’s Graduation

Alana’s Tumor Pre-Surgery

Alana’s Tumour Post-Chemo