A MUM who thought facial swelling was caused by botox was shocked to discover she had a a brain tumour, and didn’t know if she would survive Christmas
Jill Kenton, 52, noticed puffiness and dryness in her left eye but had put the symptoms down to a botox treatment she had a few months prior.
Jill had a low-grade brain tumour that had been festering behind her eye for 10 yearsSWNS
Jill now gets regular scans and vision checks to see if the tumour is growingSWNS
“As it turned out, I couldn’t have been more wrong,” the voice over actor, from Westoning, Bedfordshire, said.
It was only after Jill began to hear clicking sounds through her headphones as she recorded scripts that decided to get herself checked out.
Following some tests, Jill, who had just moved to London, was diagnosed with a low-grade brain tumour that had been festering away behind her eye for 10 years.
The tumour, called a left sphenoid wing intraosseous meningioma, was malignant meaning it is non-cancerous.
However, if left untreated, it can grow as large as a grapefruit can cause persistent headaches, loss of neurological function, seizures, hearing or vision loss.
Major surgery to remove the growing tumour would be “brutal” and could leave her a “different person” if she survived, Jill said.
“I would be cut across my head from ear to ear, a piece of my skull would be removed to get to the diseased area.
“They would endeavour to save my sight but there was no guarantee,” she explained.
What is a brain tumour?
A brain tumour is a growth of abnormal cells that grow on the organ and multiply and spread in an uncontrollable way.
The growths can be benign, non-cancerous, which grow slowly and if treated are unlikely to reappear.
However, cancerous brain tumours are more serious and some can start in the brain or spread there from cancer elsewhere in the body.
Brain tumours are also graded on their seriousness, with grade one and two tumours being seen as low risk.
While grade three and four tumours are seen as high risk and likely to return after treatment.
Facing “horrendous” surgery and “terrified” she wouldn’t come out alive, she started coming to terms with her possible death.
“As I packed away the tree and the decorations, I included notes to my daughter Rachel and to my partner Paul telling them that I loved them,” she said.
Jill eventually decided against the risky surgery and is instead getting regular scans and vision checks to see if the tumour is growing.
“Fortunately, for now, I am in a good place and happy that I was able to take back control,” she said.
Jill is now working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to share her story in the hope it will be helpful to other people.
“There is too little known about this devastating disease,” she said.
“And is so important that we highlight the issues around brain tumours.
“The simple fact is, if there isn’t significant investment in research to improve treatment options and help find a cure, the outlook for me and so many others could remain bleak,” she added.
What are the symptoms of a brain tumour?
According to the NHS, the symptoms of a brain tumour depend on its severity and which part of the brain is affected.
However, there are common signs that people can look out for if they are worried.
These include severe, non-stop headaches, seizures as well as nausea, vomiting and drowsiness.
Other signs can include vision or speech problems, paralysis and even changes to a person’s behaviour such as having difficulty remembering things.
These symptoms can appear suddenly or develop slowly over time.
The brain tumour charity has more information on symptoms on their website.