Eurobodalla councillor and former mayor Fergus Thomson OAM is continuing to take each day as it comes as he undergoes a trial treatment for an aggressive brain tumour.
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Mr Thomson was diagnosed with a rapidly growing tumour just after Christmas in 2013 after he suffered head-aches and loss of function in one leg for about two weeks.
He has since had two operations, in January and November 2014, which both removed about 90 per cent of the tumour.
Wife Yvonne said the next best thing to further surgery was participating in the clinical trial, run by oncologist Dr Helen Wheeler at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.
Mr and Mrs Thomson travel to Sydney every fortnight for the trial infusions, which attack one of the tumour’s receptors intravenously.
“This particular trial is putting antibodies inside the tumour to kill it,” she said.
“The trial was showing some response in this one particular receptor.
“It’s keeping it at bay, that’s all we can do.”
Mrs Thomson said about 40 people in Australia, 200 worldwide, were participating in the trial.
She said her husband had good and bad days, but was “still Ferg”.
“In himself, he’s great, but he is diminished physically,” she said.
“Because of where the tumour was, it’s attacked the right side of his body, so while it’s trying to fight the tumour, everything on his right side has got very weak.
Itching to return to both council duties and his beloved sheep farm at Nerrigundah, Mr Thomson said he was “going fine”.
However, he said he spent half his time undergoing treatment and the other half “sitting around in a wheelchair”.
“Sometimes you feel better than others,” he said.
“It’s been a bit difficult, but I’m hoping next week I’ll get back (to council).
“Sometimes it’s really hard to find the energy.
“I’m hoping not to let the team down for too much longer.”
He said he was not sure which way the treatment would go – the result would either be “bad or good”.
He praised the support the family received from the community and fellow councillors.
“When we started, many months ago now I suppose, people supported us and that’s been ongoing,” he said.
“Thank you for everyone’s support.”
His highest praise went to wife Yvonne and son James.
“They give me all the support and the lifting and all the unpleasant things,” he said.
“We’ll take it as it comes.
“If it’s not me, it’s someone else.”
“Don’t forget me and I do want to get back.
“It’s still really important.”