Woman diagnosed with brain tumour after failing to read letters in eye test
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A woman who was diagnosed with a brain tumour after failing to read a single letter during her eye exam is now raising awareness of her life-changing event. Gemma Hillier said her world was turned upside down when she was told the news, especially since her dad died from a brain tumour called a glioblastoma.
This is an aggressive type of tumour and understandably the news hit even harder because her dad, Rod, 73, died from it in July 2018. The Northampton teacher recalled going for a routine check-up in September 2023 at her local opticians - but things took a serious turn when she couldn't read the letters, leading to a referral and further testing at an eye clinic.
A month later in November 2023, an MRI scan confirmed the presence of a brain tumour, setting the stage for surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by February 2024. In good news, surgeons managed to remove 90% of the growth, putting Gemma on a path of regular scans to monitor any changes.
The 45-year-old said: "Brain tumours have rocked my world in the last six years. It is hard to believe that I am living with a brain tumour - they said that I could have been living with it for years.". The eerie possibility that she might have had the tumour concurrently with her father troubled her. She said: "I could have had it when my dad had his.
"I am lucky in some aspects - I do have a brain tumour but I can live with it. It is crazy knowing that I am walking around with a brain tumour.". Gemma stressed that she didn't have any signs or symptoms but it wasn't until she sat down in the optician's chair that she was concerned. "When I sat in the chair, I couldn't read any of the letters which I found strange as I thought I had good vision.".
