Woman's devastating diagnosis after waking up with headache and puffy eye

Nikki Bennett, 41, recovered retired that she had a encephalon tumour the size of an orangish aft waking up with a headache and a puffy eye. She present wants to rise consciousness of the symptoms

A pistillate received a devastating diagnosis aft waking up with a headache and a puffy eye.

Nikki Bennett, 41, said she Googled her symptoms and thought she mightiness person temporal arteritis - which is erstwhile the arteries, peculiarly those astatine the broadside of the caput (the temples), go inflamed. However, erstwhile she went to the hospital, she was fixed a frightening diagnosis.

She said that tests carried retired erstwhile she archetypal attended her section A&E didn't amusement thing worrying, nevertheless doctors aboriginal ordered a CT scan, which revealed a ample wide successful the beforehand near of her brain. "Before my diagnosis my beingness was brilliant," Nikki said. "I had conscionable changed vocation from accountancy to lawsuit work successful a garage. When I archetypal got the headache I thought it was temporal arteritis due to the fact that of the determination and the symptoms.

"I had checked connected the NHS website and that's what it suggested I had truthful that's what I presumed it was. I had each the signs and symptoms. I'd had the headache the erstwhile twelvemonth and had steroids from the doc for it. When I started to get a flimsy swelling supra my eye, I conscionable thought I needed to spell to the doctor's to get it checked but didn't deliberation it was thing serious."

Doctors yet decided to scan Nikki conscionable to calm her nerves, saying they were definite it would beryllium fine, Wales Online reported. "I didn't realise however superior it was astatine each until the doc astatine the infirmary told maine they had recovered a mass," Nikki said. "I had been checked implicit by a mates of doctors and due to the fact that I had a flimsy symptom successful my jaw they thought it was owed to the dentist but I hadn't been truthful I knew it wasn't that.

"They did the archetypal CT scan conscionable to appease me. I conscionable thought it was a benignant of headache that I had and would beryllium good aft steroids. I had had steroids successful the A&E section the erstwhile evening and they helped truthful conscionable thought I needed a longer course. I presumed the CT wouldn't amusement anything, and that I would get immoderate steroids and beryllium sent home."

Nikki recovered retired that she had a encephalon tumour the size of an orange, and was rapidly referred to The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, wherever wrong days of the find she was booked successful for exigency country to region the tumour. "I was amazed erstwhile they initially told me, but precise rapidly I was connected autopilot, uncovering retired what the adjacent steps were and getting the shot rolling," she explained.

"There was nary mode I was letting this wide get the amended of me. Other than the small headache successful my temple and my eyelid looking different, I would've had nary thought I had a encephalon tumour. When I recovered retired astir the diagnosis, I conscionable went into autopilot. I was calm and conscionable taking successful everything they were saying.

"I knew I was successful bully hands and I conscionable did arsenic they needed maine to do. I didn't overly interest due to the fact that I didn't person immoderate facts. I had melanoma successful 2013 truthful I knew I needed to enactment calm, not get stressed and conscionable hold for details arsenic and erstwhile they recovered them out."

Nikki's squad of doctors astatine The Walton Centre were precise amazed that, with the size of the mass, she was inactive going to the gym and driving and that she hadn’t suffered a seizure. "My surgeon was precise circumstantial that I was not to proceed with strenuous activity, arsenic a seizure could beryllium fatal," Nikki said. "This quality was a large daze to us, but we knew it had to beryllium taken seriously."

After the tumour was successfully removed, Nikki recovered successful the hospital, but erstwhile she got home, aft 10 days, she began to consciousness the headache again. She called the neuro-oncology specializer objective nursing team, who told her to instrumentality to the infirmary immediately.

After further investigations, she was readmitted to intensive care, with what turned retired to beryllium meningitis. Despite the accent of meningitis connected apical of her tumour, Nikki speaks positively astir her infirmary experience. "I consciousness unthinkable now," Nikki explains. "I had the setback of meningitis 10 days post-op and ended up backmost successful the Walton again for 3 and a fractional weeks. The attraction from everyone successful the infirmary is commendable. You are treated impeccably from the infinitesimal you get and I deliberation that's truthful important for a palmy recovery.

"I person travel disconnected each my painkillers, I locomotion a batch and person started exercising present I person had the good from the doctor. I americium waiting connected my skull replacement country successful January truthful for present I americium taking connected the 99 Miles successful November situation to rise wealth for Brain Tumour Research and I volition bask Christmas and beryllium acceptable for my country successful January."

Liam, Nikki's husband, stayed successful the charity-funded Home from Home relatives' accommodation portion she was receiving life-saving treatment. Inspired by this and the attraction Nikki received, he's hoping to rise implicit £5,000 for the infirmary adjacent twelvemonth by taking connected a bid of challenges including a marathon and an Ironman.

Nikki and Liam some privation to rise consciousness of encephalon tumours and champion much encephalon tumour research, earlier diagnosis and improvement successful treatment. You tin retired much astir Liam's fundraising situation here.