Hello you all.
Thank you very much for your warm words of welcome and sympathie regarding the dead of our son. It was very good for us to hear that he was a well respected member of this forum. We Always got the impression that the forum and its members were his second family. He spoke with great respect of each and every one of you.
After Martijn's operation and the following Chemo therapy he was doing quite well. We travelled to Egypt to see the pyramids and made a nile cruise. During that trip he became very disaranged. Compulsive in his actions, and behaving and acting like a four years old child. We took him back to the hospital and found out that his tumor was growing fast. We were literally told: Take him home, enjoy the time that is coming and be prepared for the worse.
So, we did. The medicine (dexamethason) they gave him made him feel better, he was his old self again, no more disarrangement, he was alright. We went to Curacao to visit his friend and he enjoyed fishing there. He was very calm about his approaching death, accepted it, but was determined to make the most of his remaining time. After Curacao time went on, and nothing happened. Fortunatelly. After a few month we went back to the hospital for another MRI. This showed that the tumor had decreased from 7 cm to 4 cm. That was wonderfull news. The chemo had worked. The following months were happy months, yes, he was very tired and yes he still had a tumor in his head, but we enjoyed several holidays with his sister, her husband and his little niece, whom he called "popje".
After a few months, it is august 2012, he heard a "crack" in his back. The pain became from a bit to the point that he could not get out of bed anymore. Every move made him scream of pain. He laid in bed for almost 7 months, visiting the hospital (with an ambulance) several time, but no one could tell us what the pain was or were it came from. Finally in January 2013, after a second opinion, they found that his back was broken. This was due to the high
dosage of Dexamethason that was prescribed. After a small operation, a vertibrea plastic, he could start his revalidation. He could not walk anymore, because of the deteriation of his muscles. After 3 months of revalidation he could walk again behind his wheelchair.
All this time he kept his humor, sarcasm and intelligence. The only thing was his short time memory. He knew all about his former job, but could not remember what he had for lunch when it was dinner time. He also did not know how to work on a computer, didn't know his paswords etc.
It is the middle of 2013. Martijn is getting stronger every day, but the tumor is growing again. His intelligence is not effected. He is waching Discovery, following difficult discussions about all sorts or things, but his memory is almost gone. We still have a lot of fun with him and he is flirting with several of his nurses who assist us in taking care of him. He is still the cheecky bastard he Always was.
He wants to try a last extasy trip with his best friend and we agree to that. Why not, it won't kill him! But after this trip he is getting worse. The second trip we planned to Curacao is a living hell for him. Not the first week, he is "alright" then, but the second week he is hit by a massive epileptic attack. He falls out of bed and suffers a major head wound.
After that trip he has not been out of bed. He is slowly slipping away. Also due to the morfine.
On Feb. 14th 2014 he dies as a result of pneumonia.
He was not affraid to die and especially in the beginning of his illness he was determined to beat the cancer. He Always was happy, cheerful, even in the period he sufferd from his back pain. He even drove his PD to despair with his knowledge of ingredients of his prescribed medicin. Always wanted to presude her to try out a different kind of psychedellic medicin. Just for the experience as he would say, and in many times she gave him that medicin.
Sorry for my long story. Just wanted to share with you what a great guy he was.
Monique
