This Is: A Glimpse into Brain Cancer

I have formed a habit of searching through the provided list of resources for what I will write in my neuro notes.  I skimmed through the various titles and came upon something unusual...a photo documentary.  After I clicked on the link, I came to a page filled only with photos. The pictures themselves were the story. The only explanation of the documentary was provided in the left hand corner of the page: this was Josh and Jenna's story.  "This is..." is the name of the documentary filled with emotional moments captured by a photographer named Jennifer Keenan Giliberto.  She explains that Josh and Jenna were generous enough to allow her to capture some of the most intimate times during Josh's battle with Grade IV, Glioblastoma Multiform.  Just two days into their honeymoon, Josh and Jenna discovered that Josh had a brain tumor.  These pictures are the brief glimpses into the roller coaster of a journey they had.

I almost closed the window once I realized what this documentary was.  When I saw that there was no text to go off of, I was hesitant to write my neuro note on it.  However, when I looked at a couple of the pictures in the documentary, I could not stop.  The raw emotion that is depicted is unbelievably intriguing.  No matter how many times I have heard how terrible brain cancer is, there is nothing quite like seeing it.

The documentary begins by showing pictures of Josh and Jenna in a hospital room before his invasive brain surgery.  Josh looks relatively healthy...this is the calm before the storm.  We are then taken on a journey through his surgery, therapy, and adjustment to life.  We see the hard times, but we also see the good times.  Despite all of the sorrow that goes along with this disease, Josh and Jenna experience unbelievable joy with the birth of their child.
The documentary is concluded with images that suggest that Josh is dying: he looses an extreme amount of weight and is lying lifeless in his bed with Jenna.  The last pictures show Josh being hoisted off of his bed and Jenna in uncontrollable tears.  I am not completely certain that Josh died that day, but that is what the pictures suggest.

Through this experience, albeit a short one, I have put together a bigger picture of what a fatal disease looks like. In our courses, we learn a great amount about the science of neurological dysfunction, but we must understand how these diseases affect the family unit. It's not just a MRI or a PET scan.  It's not just malignant cells that eventually kill their host.  It's unbelievable pain that NOBODY can understand unless you have been through it yourself. Families are part of our client demographic, and as such it is paramount that we use our therapeutic use of self in our practice. I cannot understand what their pain is like, and God willing I never will. This documentary is unique because it puts you in a first person perspective into this utterly gruesome experience.  I can say without a doubt that this neuro note experience hit me the hardest. There is something to be said about the impact that pictures have on the human soul.

After this experience, I did some brief research on what this particular type of brain cancer is.  I came across this website: http://www.abta.org/brain-tumor-information/types-of-tumors/glioblastoma.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
The research says that this type of cancer has a "median survival rate".  To me, that does not seem like a very positive prognosis. Looking at this website helped me put Josh and Jenna's story into perspective. I would recommend this site to those who are interested in learning about this type of cancer. 


Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/jkeenanphotography/photos/a.512697155472990.1073741838.441149622627744/1089317347810965/?type=3&theater


References 
JKeenan Photography. (n.d.) This is... Retrieved from http://www.thisisdocumentary.com/