Story
So I was, and I still am in two minds whether to post this personal story and talk...but my brain needs something to focus, on so I am going to start fundraising and sharing my story, progress, recovery and journey after, in hope that it can help others. It also helps all the people who keep asking me questions and sometimes I’m not in the mood to talk.
In August 2020, I was outside St Marys Hospital in London getting fresh air when I had a dizzy blackout fall injuring my ankle again. I had a MRI scan on my brain and was diagnosed with a large growth over the pituitary gland.... however always seeing the positive side, I am lucky it is not in the main part of the brain.... and I can be fixed!
I have just told the boys and showed them pictures to explain and help them understand and now I am booked in for surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible on the 6th October. I am lucky and grateful I have the support of excellent caring family and boyfriend to look after me before during and after my operation and long road to recovery.
I want to walk 6km with the support of my Mum as I get dizzy spells and my vision is not great, I also have a ankle support brace. I hope one day I can build up and do longer distances to raise more money and more awareness.
I had been suffering with the symptoms of the pituitary tumour for a very long time. Over a year ago I visited my GP after having lots of other blood tests and being seen at other clinics and I asked for a Brain scan to check I didn’t have some type of tumour and I was laughed at. I think doctors need to take people more seriously. And people need to sometimes trust their instinct more if they feel something is wrong, never worry about visiting your doctor and complaining of symptoms because it could save your life. It’s always better to be checked. I want to raise more awareness about these types of tumours.
Some Information if I haven’t bored you yet about what I have from the brain tumour charity website... Questions & Answers.
Is a pituitary adenoma benign or cancerous?
Pituitary adenomas are generally considered to be benign, although some are more aggressive than others. They do not spread to other parts of the brain, but remain within the pituitary gland.
How common are pituitary adenomas?
- Pituitary adenomas are the third most common tumours found within the skull in adults, making up about 10% of the total number.
- They are discovered in approximately 77 out of 100,000 people
- It is possible that they actually occur in as many as 20% of people at some point in their lives, but cause no symptoms or are so small that they are never found.
- Pituitary adenomas can occur at any age, but are more common in people in their 30s or 40s and rare in those under 20 years old.
- Women get adenomas more often than men.
What are the symptoms of a pituitary tumour?
Because the pituitary gland has such varied functions, a tumour can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms will differ between patients. The symptoms are often due to changes in the levels of the hormones that the gland produces, and there is a range of reasons why those hormone levels may fluctuate and cause symptoms, hence delaying the diagnosis of a tumour.
How is a pituitary tumour diagnosed?
The most reliable way to diagnose any kind of brain tumour is initially by an MRI scan and then by taking a biopsy (a small sample of the tumour, removed during neurosurgery) for analysis in a laboratory. The presence of a pituitary tumour can also be indicated by tests that measure the levels of specific hormones within the blood.
What causes a pituitary tumour?
Research is underway to understand more about the genetic mutations that influence the development of this tumour type. Most seem to arrive with no clear cause, although there are a few cases of pituitary tumours appearing within a family group.
There are certain hereditary conditions which give an increased risk of pituitary tumours, the most common one being multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 1 (MEN 1), for which there is a genetic test to establish if this is the case. MEN I causes multiple tumours to arise in various glands of the endocrine system, not just the pituitary gland.