Trish Gordon, a 61-year-old doctor, was diagnosed with a brain tumour over a decade ago and given just five to 10 years to live. After being medically retired twice due to complications from her surgery, she took up bridge lessons to regain cognitive function, which she credits with helping her return to work as a doctor. According to recent research, experienced bridge players show advantages in memory-based tasks and delays age-related cognitive decline. Despite facing further setbacks when her tumour returned, Gordon is now back to full health and says playing bridge has been a "huge part of my social life" since her diagnosis.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Trish Gordon, a 61-year-old doctor, was medically retired after being diagnosed with a brain tumour over a decade ago. She was initially given a prognosis of 5-10 years to live and told she would likely not be able to return to her career. However, despite the challenges, Gordon found solace in playing bridge card games through the Scottish Bridge Union, which helped her regain cognitive function and eventually return to medicine. After undergoing surgery in 2014 to remove a 10cm tumour, Gordon struggled with concentration, communication, and everyday tasks, but found that playing bridge improved her ability to focus and process information. She was medically retired in September 2015, but after several years of playing bridge, she was able to regain enough cognitive function to return to work as a doctor.
Written for “Doctor Recovers from Tumour” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 6543 · logged 2026-09-07
Trish Gordon, 61, was medically retired and told she had just five to 10 years to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumour more than a decade ago.
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she → retire → tumour
She was initially given the all clear but, a few months later, she had a seizure while driving her car and was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma.
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she → give → oligodendroglioma
Surgeons removed a 10cm tumour in 2014, but the operation left the single mother struggling with concentration, communication and everyday tasks.
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operation → remove → concentration
Ms Gordon attempted to return to work but realised the challenges she faced were too great and was medically retired in September 2015.
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she → attempt → September
“My whole life was turned upside down.
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life → turn → ?
I knew there were risks with the surgery, but nothing really prepares you for how much your life can change,” she said.
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she → know → you
“Overnight, things I’d done without thinking suddenly became difficult.
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I → do → ?
I wasn’t able to drive for a year.
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I → drive → year
“Simple tasks such as walking my son to school were too much.
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tasks → walk → school
I would come back and stare at the wall.
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I → come → wall
Any background noise or stimulation felt too much.”
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noise → feel → ?
Ms Gordon said finding words was a big issue for her and she found it hard to communicate with patients.
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it → say → patients
Read More
“My cognitive function had totally changed.
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function → read → More
It was no longer possible to work at that time,” she said.
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she → work → time
“I was grieving the life I previously had.
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I → grieve → life
There were some really dark days but, as a single parent, my main priority was to keep fighting for my nine-year-old.”
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priority → be → old
Ms Gordon said she wanted to keep her mind active and regain cognitive function, so she signed up for bridge lessons at the New Melville Bridge club in Edinburgh through the Scottish Bridge Union.
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she → say → Union
“I quickly became hooked,” she said.
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she → become → ?
“It took memory, teamwork and a little bit of maths.
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It → take → maths
Each week I felt a little bit sharper and a little bit more like myself again.”
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I → feel → myself
Although she faced further setbacks when her tumour returned in 2022, and underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment in 2024, Ms Gordon said she feels back to full health.
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she → face → health
“Every day is a blessing and I still get so much from playing bridge,” Ms Gordon said.
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Gordon → get → bridge
“It is a huge part of my social life and I try to get along to the club as often as I can.
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I → try → club
I enjoy learning new things – that’s one of the things I love most about bridge.”
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I → enjoy → bridge
She continued: “Bridge gave me a challenge when I needed one most.
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I → continue → one
It played a significant role in helping me get back to work and back to being myself.”
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me → play → work
Ms Gordon’s experience is backed up by recent research that found experienced bridge players showed advantages in memory-based tasks and delays age-related cognitive decline.
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players → back → decline
“When I was diagnosed, my biggest concern wasn’t for me – it was for my son.
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it → diagnose → son
I wanted to be there to watch him grow up.
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him → want → ?
At the time I didn’t know what the future would look like,” she added.
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she → know → what
“More than 10 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.”
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sights → outlive → Angeles
