When Helen Green began experiencing seizures, she believed it was a result of stress from the Covid pandemic.
However, as the seizures didn't seem to be getting any better, the 58-year-old had a phone consultation with her doctor, who referred her for an MRI scan. Just hours after attending the scan, Helen was told that she had a 6cm tumour growing on the left temporal lobe of her brain.
The tumour was so serious that doctors were surprised Helen was still able to walk and talk. Usually, patients with a similar tumour in that region of the brain would be unable to speak and would suffer from long-term memory problems.
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Following her diagnosis, Helen underwent a four-hour operation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where doctors were able to successfully remove the tumour. They confirmed that the mass was a low-grade meningioma.
She now requires regular check-ups to ensure that the tumour never grows back. “I got taken to A&E - where I got sat down and given cognitive tests," she said.
"I was confused to why I was being checked over and over again. At the time I didn’t know, but they knew about the tumour. I went into hospital at 8.30am and at 3.30pm I was told I had a brain tumour. I thought it was a death sentence.
"I was with my mum, Sheila, 83, we both broke down and then pulled ourselves together and called around the family. I am grateful to be alive and grateful to wake up in the morning.”
Helen added: “I named the tumour duckie egg and the triplets as it was around the size of a duck egg. The doctors also found three shadows which is where the triplets came from.
“I couldn’t bring myself to tell people I had a brain tumour. I couldn’t accept what it really was. It was hard to come to terms with it but a way for me to cope was to put a positive spin on it.
“My mum and dad, Brian, 93, and Sheila, 83, needed to know I was doing OK - even though I was crumbling at the time.”
The mum-of-two continued: “I went into the room and looked straight at the clock to check the time. When I came round, I had counted four hours to make sure there had been no complications.
“When I first came out of the operation, I struggled walking. I had impaired speech, and I was physically fatigued.”
Helen still often struggles with her speech and undergoes regular check-ups to make sure that the tumour doesn’t return. “It is all still overwhelming for me," she said.
"To think that I had been living all those years and carrying it around with me – the outcome could have been different if I found it earlier. I want to be how I used to be but that is not happening.
"I keep being reminded that it is still early days. I am lucky to be here and grateful to wake up in the morning.”
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