Last week was my `cranioversary'. It was a year since I had brain surgery lasting 11 hours at Atkinson Morley, performed by 3 incredible surgeons, saving my life. They removed a `giant' 5x5.5 cm mid frontal lobe brain tumour, shortly before it made me go blind and then killed me (their words).

Just 7 weeks earlier, I was told the devastating news. I later discovered that the tumour started growing around 18 years prior to that, but all the symptoms were dismissed

I've lost most of my memory from the 18 years prior to the operation, (I've discovered everything from my GP records). This is when I first started mentioning the signs of the brain tumour, I reported headaches and memory issues in 2004. I saw GPs and specialists over these years and the signs and symptoms were dismissed or misdiagnosed and I'm campaigning to ensure that this doesn't happen to anyone else.

 I reported:

• - debilitating, frequent headaches
• - loss of sense of smell (anosmia), 12 years ago
• - pituitary gland / thyroid issues (the tumour was pressing on the gland)
• - 40% deaf in R ear
• - foot problems, limping for a year (common with tumours)
• - progressively worse memory loss
• - weight gain (about 5 stone embarrassingly), the tumour fed on sugar
• - Exhaustion, in the end I was sleeping over 14 hours a day and couldn't walk for more than 5 minutes.
• - sensory overload issues
• - personality change
• - eyesight problems in visual field
• - spatial awareness issues, I'm usually a good driver but had 3 incidents where I wrapped our cars around posts when trying to park!!!

I was misdiagnosed with:

• - Bipolar disorder
• - migraines
• - sinusitis, pain was around face as well as head
• - TMJ, a jaw problem
• - Attentional Amnestic Disorder (forgetting things because I wasn't paying attention!),
• - early onset Alzheimer's
• - Long Covid
• - Sleep Apnoea 

I'm one of the lucky ones, I'm ALIVE and here to help campaign for a faster diagnosis for others by sharing my experience and raising funds for research.

I'm grateful to be here but an earlier diagnosis would have meant less invasive, severe treatment and the tumour and operation would likely have caused less damage. I'm now living with trauma & PTSD, severe memory loss, brain damage, personality change, executive function problems & severe head pain. 

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we're moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And we're doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait.