Simon3

SIMON JAMES BRUNTON
19th July 1982 - 18th April 1998

We didn't see these photos until after the event.........thank goodness!

The start of the headaches

In November 1995 Simon started to get headaches, so we took him to the doctor who told us to keep a headache diary, at this stage Simon was getting one bad headache every month. We took the diary back to the doctor and he said he thought it was migraine, so we should try to keep Simon off of caffeine. Simon never once complained about not be able to have cheese, coke, chocolate, etc.

The headaches started to get more frequent until, in late January '96, Simon started to get the headaches every week. Our family doctor decided that Simon needed to see a paediatrician, who we saw in early February. She also concluded that Simon was probably suffering from migraine, but that as we were so concerned she would order a CT scan to put our minds at rest. Simon had the brain scan done on my father's 60th birthday, 28th February. There was a big celebration three days later, the biggest family gathering we'd had in years. Simon danced me round the floor. Even though he'd got a headache, he was determined not to spoil the evening by complaining. We tried to enjoy ourselves and carry on with our lives as normal, but we couldn't cast the doubts and fears from our minds.

On Monday 25th March, Vince decided that we had waited long enough for the results of the scan and he rang the doctor's secretary, who said she could not discuss the results over the phone, but would have a word with the doctor. Later that afternoon we got a phone call asking whether we could go and see the doctor on the following Wednesday afternoon. We agreed and waited anxiously.

Vince, myself and the children all turned up at the hospital on that Wednesday afternoon to see the doctor. We'd always faced things together as a family. She told us that there was good news and bad news, she said "At least we know it's not a tumour", (to which we breathed a big sigh of relief). She told us that Simon had got a build up of fluid in the brain and would have to go and have a VP shunt fitted (that's a drain that is put into one of the ventricles of the brain to drain fluid). This didn't really bother us because we had a niece who'd had one fitted and lived with it for the past 13 years. The doctor said she had been in touch with a surgeon that would do the operation and he wanted us to go into the Medical Centre that afternoon. As we left the paediatrician's office, the first thing Simon did was ask for a bar of chocolate!

Hey folks! Look at me!

We went home, grabbed a bag with some things in it for Simon and myself and went to the Medical Centre. They booked us into the ward and said the surgeon would be up to see us soon. Around 9pm we got a message saying that an emergency case had come in and that the surgeon was in theatre for the next few hours, but would come and see us later. Vince and I talked it over and decided that as it was set to be a pretty routine thing, Vince should take Amy home to bed and I would stay with Simon. I dozed off in the chair beside Simon's bed, waiting for the doctor. When I awoke in the early hours of the morning, I was told that the doctor had seen the scan results and would be up to speak to me later in the morning. More waiting..... so I spent my time keeping Simon amused and getting to know the staff. Little did I know that this was to be the worse day of my life!