Navigating Glioblastoma

A stale marriage. A deadly diagnosis. For Sally Connolly, three years of struggle followed her husband Peter’s surgery for terminal brain cancer at age 61. Choosing treatment options that interfered least with his career, Peter focused his limited energy on work, with little left for his family, further straining the marriage during his remaining days. Connolly’s clear-eyed and affecting memoir recounts their wrangling over gender roles, money management, domestic decisions and lifestyle changes. Through their traumatic journey, they find humor and comfort in unexpected places.

Sally Connolly, MSW, facilitates cancer support groups at the Dempsey Cancer Center in South Portland, Maine. A retired teacher and social worker, she lives in Scarborough Maine.

Sally Connolly
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 210
Bibliographic Info: appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8319-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4106-5
Imprint: Toplight Books

Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

 1. Gobsmacked 3

 2. Dynamics 9

 3. Surgery 13

 4. Recovery at Home 20

 5. Preliminaries to Treatment 27

 6. Beginning the Regimen 32

 7. Lifelines 38

 8. Family 42

 9. Finances 45

10. Life 52

11. Temodar 66

12. Next Steps 87

13. Here We Go Again 118

14. Surgery Again 134

15. Rehab 143

16. Home and Back Again 148

17. Retired? 153

18. Into the Unknown 164

19. The White Flag 171

20. Next 180

21. Rest and Recovery 186

Appendix: ­Glio-What? 191

Chapter Notes 195

References 197

Index 199