Doctors dismiss 27-year-old's brain tumour as panic attacks

A young woman has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour after doctors dismissed her symptoms as panic attacks. Jessie-Mae Lambert, 27, went to her GP after she began experiencing strange sensations and visual disturbances which her doctor put down to anxiety.

It was only after Jessie’s mum recognised the "episodes" were seizures and demanded she was referred to hospital for further investigations that a grade 2 astrocytoma brain tumour - measuring 4cm by 3cm – was discovered.

She underwent a six-hour operation to take away as much of the tumour as possible, but because it sits on top of arteries, only 40% could be removed.

Jessie, who works as internal marketing manager for Alphageek Digital, based in Derby, has also undergone six weeks of daily radiotherapy sessions.

She said: “It was in October last year that I started having ‘episodes’ where I just felt a bit out of it, but the doctor said they were panic attacks and prescribed anxiety medication. It was only when it happened in front of my mum that she realised it was a seizure and she took me back to the GP.

“Unbelievably, he said that I needed to make up my mind whether they were panic attacks or seizures – even though I’d only ever described the symptoms to him. I was eventually referred to the hospital and told I needed an MRI and an EEG scan.

“I was put on a waiting list and getting more and more concerned. I was ringing every day to try and get a cancellation and I was on first name terms with all the staff. But in April I got a last-minute appointment, and the MRI revealed the tumour.

“My oncologist showed me the scan and I can’t express the sensation – just total panic descended all over my body. It was horrific looking at my mum and seeing her distraught too, but I’ve had to learn that not everyone can be lucky.”

Specialists at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre agreed to remove some of the brain tumour, but warned her that the surgery was not without risks. Jessie was told she could have a stroke on the operating table and wake up unable to walk or talk.

Although the surgery was successful, and Jessie was allowed to go home the next day, she was later readmitted with an infection and spent a week on intravenous antibiotics.

She said: “Just before the operation I wasn’t as scared as you might expect, I was actually just relieved to finally be going to theatre – it had been such a struggle to get diagnosed.

“When I woke up, I asked if I could still walk, and I was so relieved to still be able to wiggle my toes and to be able to talk. But because so much of the tumour was left behind, I then had to undergo six weeks of radiotherapy in Nottingham City Hospital.

“The radiotherapy wasn’t a nice experience and it has led to a return of the epilepsy, which I had been warned might happen, but it was important to try and get rid of some of the grade three cells that showed up on the scan.”

Now Jessie has finished her radiotherapy treatment she is hoping to return to work one day a week and is also planning a trip to Italy to cheer on a marathon runner competing in her name.

Phoebe Collier, from Derby, heard about Jessie’s situation through a mutual friend and has so far raised £1,300 for Brain Tumour Research by completing the three marathons, in three countries, in six weeks.

“I can’t wait to go and cheer her on and to return to work. My bosses at Alphageek could not have been more supportive and have really treated me as part of their family. I couldn’t thank them more, they have just been gorgeous.

“My oncologist looked like he was going to have a heart attack when I said I was going back to work, but I miss it and I just want to return to some normality.”

Jessie knows that she cannot be completely cured and that she will spend the rest of her life being monitored. For now, she will need a scan every three months to see if the tumour has developed or upscaled.

“It’s very scary to think that I will spend the rest of my life waiting for good or bad news,” she said. “But I don’t want it to beat me. I’ve absolutely bossed brain surgery, the infection and radiotherapy – I am determined to just keep on fighting.”

To make a donation visit: Fundraiser by Phoebe Collier : Running for Jessie: supporting Brain Tumour Research.