Fife doctor plays her hand in cancer recovery

Trish Gordon, 61, first sought medical help in September 2013 after the entire right side of her body gave way while she was examining a patient. Despite initially being given the all-clear, just months later, the single mother suffered a seizure while driving her car and was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma.

Surgeons removed a 10cm tumour in 2014, but the operation left the consultant struggling with concentration, communication and everyday tasks, forcing her to leave the career she loved.

Trish said: “I was told I only had five to ten years to live – my whole life was turned upside down. I knew there were risks with the surgery, but nothing really prepares you for how much your life can change.

“Overnight, things I’d done without thinking suddenly became difficult. I wasn’t able to drive for a year. Simple tasks such as walking my son to school were too much. I would come back and stare at the wall.

“Any background noise or stimulation felt too much.”

Determined to carry on, Trish attempted to return to work but quickly realised the challenges she faced were too great and was medically retired in September 2015.

She said: “Finding words was a big issue for me and I found It hard to communicate with patients. My cognitive function had totally changed. It was no longer possible to work at that time.

“I was grieving the life I previously had. There were some really dark days, but as a single parent my main priority was to keep fighting for my nine-year-old.”

Frustrated with the way things were, Trish did everything in her power to keep her mind active and regain cognitive function.

Trish added: “I’d played bridge growing up and heard it was good for the brain. I signed up for lessons at the New Melville Bridge club through the Scottish Bridge Union and I quickly became hooked.

“It took memory, teamwork and a little bit of maths. Each week I felt a little bit sharper and a little bit more like myself again.”

Her experience is backed up by recent research that found experienced bridge players showed advantages in memory-based tasks and delays age-related cognitive decline.

After years of rehabilitation – and countless games of bridge – Trish finally returned to medicine in 2020.

She said “I went through rigorous testing with the General Medical Council to ensure I was fit to return to my role. I passed the tests and underwent a phased return to work. I’ll never forget treating my first patient again. For years I was grieving the life I’d lost.

“Returning to work felt like things were finally starting to become normal again”

Trish faced further setbacks when her tumour returned in 2022 and underwent a further craniotomy. A surgically inoperable area was located in 2024 requiring radiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy treatment. She was relieved not to not experience further cognitive complications.

More than a decade after being told she might have only five to ten years to live, Trish now feels back to full health, and now works as a locum consultant across Fife and the Borders.

She is checked every six months to ensure her condition has not worsened. Bridge remains an important part of her life.

“Every day is a blessing and I still get so much from playing bridge”, she says, “it is a huge part of my social life and I try to get along to the club as often as I can.

“I enjoy learning new things – that's one of the things I love most about bridge.

"When I was diagnosed, my biggest concern wasn't for me – it was for my son. I wanted to be there to watch him grow up. At the time I didn't know what the future would look like.

“More than ten years later, I've outlived the original prognosis I was given, returned to the career I love and had the privilege of watching my son Brodie develop into an elite swimmer with his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“Bridge gave me a challenge when I needed one most. It played a significant role in helping me get back to work and back to being myself.”