A dad-of-five had a tumor the size of a kiwi removed from his brain while he was awake – and played the guitar during the operation.
Paul Welsh-Dalton, 44, suffered with aphasia and headaches, and was admitted to hospital after a seizure at home.
Doctors discovered a mass on his brain and diagnosed oligodendroglioma – a rare type of malignant brain tumor.
During the five-hour craniotomy surgeons removed 98% of the 4cm tumor – with Paul playing music on his guitar so surgeons could tell is Paul’s brain’s abilities were being compromised by their actions.
He played songs three songs – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day, Tribute by Tenacious D and Wonderwall by Oasis like as surgeons at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, worked on March 28.
The operation was a success, and despite his stage three tumor classed as terminal, Paul has been given more time thanks to the operation.
He’s since had six and a half weeks of radiotherapy and is set to start nine months of chemotherapy in October.
Wife Tiff, 39, has been by his side throughout and caring for their five children Max, 14, Gracie, 13, Maddie, 12, Finnley, 10, and Colby, three.
Paul, a health and safety and quality auditor from Ivybridge, Devon, said: “We met with the surgeon who performed the surgery and I just mentioned in the initial meeting how important the guitar is to me – I’ve been playing for 30 years.
“He just said, ‘bring it along and we’ll see if we can work it into it.
“Playing the guitar whilst having my brain operated on was such a surreal experience.”
Paul was at home with Tiff and their children on March 3 when he fell into a seizure on the kitchen floor.
Tiff, an adult support worker, said: “It was the whole right side of him that just gave out.
“We weren’t sure if it was a stroke.
“For a moment I thought I’d lost him.
“The children were in the room so they were freaking out”.
After dialling 999, Paul and Tiff were taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
After tests, doctors confirmed they had found a mass on Paul’s brain.
Paul opted for surgeons to remove his tumor and conduct a biopsy at the same time.
He was only put to sleep when surgeons opened his brain up and then after the procedure to fit titanium screws into his skull.
Tiff said: “When he is awake the surgeon said he can press on Paul’s brain and know if he’s gone too far plus Paul’s speech and ability to move his hands and such is a good indicator of any areas that become affected during surgery.
“There were things he had to do before his surgery like touching all his fingers together, he would then do in surgery to see if he had the same response.
“At one point Titus the surgeon probed the brain and Paul’s hands locked up.
“It was like, ‘right, we can’t do that bit’.”
Two weeks later test results from the biopsy taken confirmed he had a grade three oligodendroglioma.
“I’m not religious but I think I made every deal possible so he could get through it,” Tiff said.
“He was scared – really really scared.
“Colby is only three as well so he was thinking, ‘if I die would he remember me’, all of those sorts of thoughts. “
After chemotherapy, Paul will continue to have scans to monitor his tumor.
“Titus said it’s terminal but terminal doesn’t mean tomorrow,” Tiff said.
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