Doctors shocked to find brain tumour the size of a lemon in a woman who had NO cancer symptoms
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Anna Tarrant was 26 years old and in the prime of her life. She loved her job and had a great group of friends. Weekends were spent relaxing, having fun, and exploring all that life had to offer.
However, in October 2010, she received news that would change her whole life.
After arriving home from a 12km run, Anna suffered a grand mal seizure – a type of seizure that involves a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.
After being rushed to the hospital and getting an MRI scan, the doctors told her she had brain cancer.
‘Overnight scans have identified you have a brain tumour the size of a small lemon,’ the doctor told her. He also said that the tumour was embedded in the right frontal lobe of her brain tissue.
After that, all Anna could do was sit dumbstruck in complete shock. She had no idea why she had the seizure. ‘I thought maybe I was severely dehydrated at the time, but I never had any ‘cancer’ symptoms,’ she said.
Soon after, major brain surgery was booked. The surgeon told Anna that she likely had five years left to live.
Luckily, and despite her fears, Anna’s surgery was a huge success. She was even deemed healthy enough to be discharged within 24 hours following the surgery.
Three days after the operation, however, Anna woke up with severe headaches. She also started vomiting, which led her to believe that something might be wrong again.
She immediately visited her GP, who advised her to get an MRI scan. The results showed she had severe swelling in her brain.
‘I began choking on my vomit in the MRI scanning machine – with my head locked into a frame suffocating me and stopping me from being able to move,’ she wrote in her blog post.
Before long, the entire left side of her face had dropped and Anna couldn’t feel the left side of her body. An ambulance arrived and she was taken to the hospital for treatment, staying there for the next two weeks.
A brain scan showed that her cancer was back in 2013.
In January 2014, Anna underwent another brain surgery as surgeons tried to remove as much of the tumour as possible. However, her recovery wasn’t smooth – she was in recovery for three weeks after suffering three violent seizures in the hospital.
Another operation was suggested, and took place in July 2014. Again, the news was dismal as doctors found out Anna’s tumour had increased in grade. It was now a grade 3 Astrocytoma.
To combat this, radiation treatment was suggested. But with brain tumours, since the brain is a sensitive organ, Anna was told she could only have radiation treatment once. Still, she took the risk and dived into the one-time treatment.
In September she started her radiation treatment – one that she underwent for nine weeks. She lost her hair and gained 40kgs, and naturally this impacted her self-esteem. Shortly after, she was thrown straight into chemotherapy for six months.
Since then, Anna has slipped in and out of remission. After four major brain surgeries, she’s about to start another round of chemotherapy.
She says that she knows she’ll lose her mental and physical capacity over time, but nevertheless, she vows she’s going to fight until the end.
‘I’m all about the quality of life, and I’m going to fight as hard as I can because we only get one life and I want to LIVE,’ she said.
Well, dear members. What did you think of Anna’s fighting spirit? As always, we urge you to visit your GP regularly to make sure you’re in good health. You can contribute to Anna's Go Fund Me page right here, to help her or help others in her position.
However, in October 2010, she received news that would change her whole life.
After arriving home from a 12km run, Anna suffered a grand mal seizure – a type of seizure that involves a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.
After being rushed to the hospital and getting an MRI scan, the doctors told her she had brain cancer.
‘Overnight scans have identified you have a brain tumour the size of a small lemon,’ the doctor told her. He also said that the tumour was embedded in the right frontal lobe of her brain tissue.
Anna (right) with her best friend before her life changed. Credit: Gingearoundtown on Instagram
After that, all Anna could do was sit dumbstruck in complete shock. She had no idea why she had the seizure. ‘I thought maybe I was severely dehydrated at the time, but I never had any ‘cancer’ symptoms,’ she said.
Soon after, major brain surgery was booked. The surgeon told Anna that she likely had five years left to live.
Luckily, and despite her fears, Anna’s surgery was a huge success. She was even deemed healthy enough to be discharged within 24 hours following the surgery.
Three days after the operation, however, Anna woke up with severe headaches. She also started vomiting, which led her to believe that something might be wrong again.
She immediately visited her GP, who advised her to get an MRI scan. The results showed she had severe swelling in her brain.
‘I began choking on my vomit in the MRI scanning machine – with my head locked into a frame suffocating me and stopping me from being able to move,’ she wrote in her blog post.
Before long, the entire left side of her face had dropped and Anna couldn’t feel the left side of her body. An ambulance arrived and she was taken to the hospital for treatment, staying there for the next two weeks.
A brain scan showed that her cancer was back in 2013.
In January 2014, Anna underwent another brain surgery as surgeons tried to remove as much of the tumour as possible. However, her recovery wasn’t smooth – she was in recovery for three weeks after suffering three violent seizures in the hospital.
Another operation was suggested, and took place in July 2014. Again, the news was dismal as doctors found out Anna’s tumour had increased in grade. It was now a grade 3 Astrocytoma.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, Anna was determined to defeat terminal cancer. Credit: Cottonbro in Pexels
To combat this, radiation treatment was suggested. But with brain tumours, since the brain is a sensitive organ, Anna was told she could only have radiation treatment once. Still, she took the risk and dived into the one-time treatment.
In September she started her radiation treatment – one that she underwent for nine weeks. She lost her hair and gained 40kgs, and naturally this impacted her self-esteem. Shortly after, she was thrown straight into chemotherapy for six months.
Since then, Anna has slipped in and out of remission. After four major brain surgeries, she’s about to start another round of chemotherapy.
She says that she knows she’ll lose her mental and physical capacity over time, but nevertheless, she vows she’s going to fight until the end.
‘I’m all about the quality of life, and I’m going to fight as hard as I can because we only get one life and I want to LIVE,’ she said.
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