The death has occurred of Bruce Catchpole, Petersfield House, Carnmore, Oranmore, Galway.
After a long illness bravely borne, Bruce surrounded by his loving family. Deeply regretted by his heartbroken wife Linda, son Sam, daughter Laura, sisters Janet, Anne and Sheila, mother-in-law Barbara Grealish, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandniece, grandnephew, extended family and a large circle of friends. Reposing at Síoraíocht within the grounds of the church of the Assumption and St James, Claregalway on Tuesday 10th December fro 5pm to 8pm. Private Removal on Wednesday 11th December to St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Lombard Street, Galway to arrive for Funeral Service at 11am. Funeral afterwards to Claregalway Cemetery. House private on Wednesday morning. Family flowers only by request. Donations if desired to Cancer Care West or Galway Hospice.
At Rest
Below is a blog post written by Bruce in August 2013, after he was diagnosed with Grade 4 Astrocytoma
My name is Bruce Catchpole. I was born on the 15th of November 1966. Yes this is the year that our friends across the pond keep reminding the world about winning the World Cup! I’ve been married to Linda for almost ten years. We have what they call a gentleman’s family—a son Sam, age 8 and a daughter Laura, age 6. I’m living in a suburb of Galway City since 1973. My family was one of the first blow ins in the area. I’ve recently had to point out to someone born after 1973 who comes from an indigenous family that I’m living in the area longer than them and I’m still called a blow in! It was only when I married Linda (née Grealish—which is one of the biggest local families in the area) in 2002 that I officially lost the blow in status and am now a native! I even have my parish passport now which was presented to me by Linda’s ex-pat American uncles at our wedding!
I have recently been diagnosed with a grade 4 astrocytoma.
This all kicked off on Feb 23rd—my Father’s anniversary, quite a poignant date to get sick. I went to University College Hospital Galway at high speed in an ambulance (to the disappointment of my inner child they didn’t use the siren or the flashing lights!) after having a mini seizure at work—initially it was suspected that I had had a stroke or TIA. I had a CT Scan shortly after arriving and the news all went downhill from there. My heart went out to the house officer that gave me the results of the scan as he was clearly uncomfortable and seemed a bit out of his depth. I don’t think he had ever had to give that kind of news before. He said I had a lesion on my brain. I went on the offensive and asked was this an MS type lesion or something resulting from the seizure. They say Michael Jackson invented the moonwalk, well if he hadn’t this poor chap would have! He disappeared out through the curtain fairly lively. The registrar came in about fifteen minutes later and said it wasn’t a lesion but a Brain Tumour which was about 4cm in size and just inside the bone above my right ear. They had been in contact with Beaumont hospital in Dublin and I would be transferred as soon as they a room available (Beaumont is the top neuroscience hospital in the country)
This is when it hit me that I could be in Big Trouble! All my thoughts went to Linda and my kids. My Mother in-law Barbara, her partner Martin and my sisters were there with us. My boss, who had come with me into hospital, was brilliant and had just taken Linda out to get a drink (non-alcoholic I might add) I looked at them and asked that Linda and the kids be wrapped in cotton wool emotionally and financially. God knows I know the pain of being tight for money. It was funny in the lead up to Christmas last year I was wishing that 2012 would pass quickly as we have a big chuck of debt finishing in 2013. At least the light was at the end of the tunnel although I didn’t expect it to be a Cancer Train! Niamh, a friend of mine, said to me years ago Man makes plans and God laughs. I though it a profound statement at the time but how true it is!
You may wonder why I’m doing this—laying my life open to scrutiny. I have always prided myself on my pragmatism and positive thinking. Now that my Cancer Bombshell has sunk in and I’ve burned up what’s left of my brain thinking about it I have concluded that first and foremost a positive mental attitude is critical when living with Cancer. My hope is that writing this and sharing my Journey might help even ONE person to develop a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) and if this has a good affect on their outcome I will have achieved something from this.
More later
Bruce
