Leamington woman thought she had Long Covid but it was actually a brain tumour
Norma Byrne was diagnosed with a meningioma in January 2022, just weeks after contracting Covid for the second time and experiencing spells of confusion.
A Leamington woman who thought she had long COVID was shocked to discover she was living with a brain tumour.
Norma Byrne was diagnosed with a meningioma in January 2022, just weeks after contracting Covid for the second time and experiencing spells of confusion.
The 54-year-old, who was told she could have had her brain tumour from birth, said: “I felt much worse after getting Covid the second time around. I decided to get checked out after my son asked for a lift to the barbers and I forgot where it was. He responded: ‘Mum, it’s on the same road you used to live on for years.’ My mind had gone completely blank and it took a long while to return.”
Prompted to go to her GP by her concerned son, Norma was referred for a CT scan which revealed the devastating news of a mass on her brain.
The nan-of-one said: “I couldn’t believe what I had been told. All I could think about was telling my three children, my husband and my family. I knew nothing about what having a brain tumour meant and had no idea if it was cancerous.
“My tumour was 5cm by 6cm and something that had likely been growing for years, possibly since birth.
"Although I was told it was low-grade, the relief was short-lived and I was warned that removing all of the tumour could leave me unable to walk and talk.”
Despite concerns, after a ten-hour operation in June 2022, Norma has been left with minimal side effects. She has regular scans to monitor for re-growth of the remainder of the tumour.
Almost a year after surgery, Norma is now campaigning alongside the charity Brain Tumour Research to help reach 100,000 signatures on its petition to increase research funding, in the hope of prompting a parliamentary debate.
Speaking of the lack of warning signs, she said: “There were no headaches, and even today, almost a year since my surgery, I still haven’t experienced excruciating pain which you might expect when you’re told you have something growing on your brain.”