Simon Barnett has opened up with the latest on his wife Jodi's medical situation. The radio host was clearly upset as he told his co-hosts and listeners: "I'm a 51-year-old grown man but I have to leave the lights on at night because I just get so scared."
Simon took an extended leave of absence from his job as host of the More FM Breakfast show after Jodi was diagnosed with lesions on the brain.
He recounted the morning that Jodi suffered a major seizure three weeks ago, calling it "beyond awful".
Simon revealed that since then, Jodi had undergone significant surgery on her brain to remove the lesion that caused the seizure.
The operation was a success, said Simon, quoting the surgeon saying: "'It couldn't have gone better."
However, the results of subsequent testing were not what they had hoped.
"We were very hopeful that it was going to be benign, but it turned out not to be," said Simon.
"It was malignant, and that's really confronting."
While it was a difficult discovery, Simon explained that Jodi's prognosis is looking positive. She will be treated with radiation therapy every day for six weeks, followed by chemotherapy for six months.
"The radiation oncologist is very hopeful that we can have a good result," said Simon.
Emotions ran high in the More FM studio as Simon fought back tears while describing the impact of the situation.
"Nothing seems to matter when you're confronted with life and death.
"Not any single material possession that you care to name matters one single jot, when you face losing someone."
Simon will be back be back on air from June 5, but in the meantime he has been helping out with the housework while Jodi prepares for treatment.
"I had no idea how much she did!" he joked.
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