Green Party co-leader Russel Norman's partner Katya Paquin is to have further surgery to try and remove a brain tumour.
Norman said Ms Paquin visited Wellington Hospital on Thursday for pre-surgery preparation and would go back on October 17 for the operation.
"This is their third attempt to get the tumour, they've got parts of it before and they're hoping this time they will finish it off," Norman said.
Asked how he coped with the stress, he answered: "I don't know. I don't know what the answer is."
The tumour was diagnosed just a few months before the last election.
"It happened in April-May 2005, it was much more stressful because it was the first time and it was a haemorrhaging tumour back then and I was the campaign manager at that time."
Paquin is a Green Party researcher.
Norman said the couple had good family support. Paquin's sister is the Oscar winning actress Anna Paquin.
