Brain tumor detected after persistent headache and vision loss

Tia Bradbury, 25 years old, living in Cheshire (England), had a severe headache but did not detect any abnormality, but half a year later, when she was 5 months pregnant, she discovered that it was a symptom of a brain tumor the size of a grape.

Tia Bradbury phát hiện bị u não khi mang thai con thứ 2. Ảnh: Mirror

Tia Bradbury discovered she had a brain tumor while pregnant with her second child. (Source: Mirror)

Tia began suffering from migraines and flashing vision in December last year. However, her family doctor thought she had a migraine that affected her vision, and did not consider the risk of a brain tumour.

Over time, Tia's left eye got worse and she started to become irritable, both warning signs of a brain tumor. The headaches came two to three times a week, leaving her unable to get out of bed and sometimes unable to speak, all while she was 22 weeks pregnant.

In April, Tia woke up with no vision in her left eye. She quickly made an appointment at her local optician, thinking she needed glasses. But the ophthalmologist explained that Tia's left eye was not responding to light and urged her to go to the hospital.

MRI scan results revealed that the female patient had a 3cm tumor in the middle of her brain that was growing rapidly, pressing on the optic nerve, causing blindness.

“My vision got worse. I was completely blind in one eye. It happened quite suddenly, from flickering to not being able to see anything. I knew something was wrong when I felt severe pain. I noticed my personality changing, I was upset with everything, I was no longer myself. The doctor said it could be the pain or the tumor itself,” Tia shared.

The 25-year-old was worried about her pregnancy, fearing that the anesthesia would affect her baby. But luckily, the surgery in May was successful and the baby was completely fine. After the 12-hour surgery, Tia had the tumor removed and her vision returned. However, she still has to have regular MRI scans to monitor her health.

More than 12,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. Headaches are the most common symptom, but other symptoms include changes in vision, seizures, dizziness, fatigue, personality changes, and loss of taste and smell.

Now, after undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, Tia advises others to trust their intuition when experiencing worrying symptoms. “I always tell everyone that you know your body inside and out,” she confided.

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