When Sue Hitchmough (48) from Hampshire in England began to struggle with hearing loss and dizziness, she sought help from her doctor.
– I used to wake up in the middle of the night with a feeling that there was a tablet stuck in my throat, says Sue to the local newspaper Derby Telegraph.
The shock diagnosis
First she was told she had an ear infection, and was put on antibiotics.
Reveals the secret: – No one knew
Sue finished her course of antibiotics but did not improve.
On the contrary, soon she started having trouble swallowing.
It was almost a year before the alarm bells rang. The 48-year-old thought she had exerted herself too much at the gym.
UNSUSPECTING: Sue thought she had a common ear infection, and had no idea about the tumor growing in her brain. Photo: NTB/Brain Tumor Research/SWNS
sea view
Only in September 2021 did the truth come for a day. She was then diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a type of brain tumour.
Warn after this: – Never happened before
– My life changed as soon as I heard the word ‘brain tumour’, says Sue to the Derby Telegraph. She, who had thought it was a simple ear infection, got the shock of her life when she heard the diagnosis.
A benign tumor
The condition is also called vestibular schwannoma, and is according to Mayo Clinic a benign tumor that develops on the balance or hearing nerves that run from the inner ear to the brain.
– The pressure from the tumor on the nerves can cause hearing loss and poor balance, they explain.
The tumor, which was 3.5 centimeters long, was operated on in February last year. Sue has to settle for having a drain in her brain for the rest of her life, to remove the excess fluid caused by the tumor.
OPERATED: After she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, the 48-year-old has been operated on three times. Photo: NTB/Brain Tumor Research/SWNS
sea view
Now she is completely deaf in one ear, she cannot cry with her right eye and she has lost the sense of taste on one side of her tongue.
– Was scared
To date, the 48-year-old has undergone a total of three operations. The last operation took place in January this year. Sue says that as a teenager she lost her aunt to the same disease. Tanta was 40 years old.
– I wondered if it could be hereditary, and if my children were at risk? When I asked, I was told that they did not know what caused the tumors. I investigated on my own, and was frightened by how little we know about this disease, she says.
Now the 48-year-old wants to help other people with the same disease. She shares information about her own health status on an Instagram account. In addition, she plans to walk on hot coals to raise money for Brain Tumor Research.
Pulled up the sweater – received a shock message
Brain Tumour Research is a charitable organization that has set itself the goal of finding a cure for brain tumors. They state that brain cancer kills more children and adults than any other cancer.
