Name: Ryan O’Shea. 

Age: 27

Tumour type: Grade 1 Diffuse Astrocytoma.

Symptoms:

• Headaches/migraines for over 6 to 8 months.
• Progressively worsened 6 weeks leading up to diagnosis.
• Days leading up to diagnosis my speaking started to stutter and my memory also started to decline.

Treatment/Recovery:

20/04/2022 – CT Scan.

21/04/2022 – Emergency MRI Scan (AM).

21/04/2022 – Urgent meeting with Dr Gibson (PM).

23/04/2022 – Flown over and admitted to National Neurology and Neurosurgery London. 

29/04/2022 – Biopsy of left frontal tumor and insert EVD (external drain) – Surgery by Mr Kitchen.

05/05/2022 – Removal of EVD and insert Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt (Internal drain).

11/05/2022 – Discharged. 

22/06/2022 – Molecular Analysis results came back and confirmed tumour and type.

Support from Charity:

• Counselling post surgery and continued support while returning to normal life and work.
• I have been given the option to join the buddy meetings.

How did it feel emotionally at the point of diagnosis:

Due to the fast pace of everything I didn’t really have much time to think, I was basically in auto pilot. I did get upset but it was more for other people than myself. I live by the saying ‘It is, what it is’ as I couldn’t control the situation I just had to agree to whatever the surgeons recommended was best for me. I would say though, having to; sign my will, the surgery paper work and having it confirmed as a tumour were hard to deal with emotionally.

The future:

I was unable to drive from the day of surgery until Thursday 3rd November 2022.

I returned to work on the 11th October 2022 on reduced hours and planning on returning to full hours by end of March 2023.

I have to under go MRI scans every 6 months for the near future and possibly the rest of my life.

The current plan is to review the scans and see if there are any changes, I was made that my type of tumor is typically found in people 55-65 so to have it at my age is rarely seen.

I believe this situation has made me look at life differently and has changed my priorities.