Doctors Dismissed My Symptoms as Exam Stress; I Was Later Diagnosed With a Brain Tumour

A 19-year-old British girl, who was repeatedly told her symptoms were just "exam stress," was finally diagnosed with a brain tumour. After several visits to the doctor when Katie-Jo Bartlett did not receive a diagnosis, she continued with her life, despite the fact that one day she collapsed in a toilet and was admitted to a hospital in an emergency. The teenager from Newcastle said she had reported experiencing visual anomalies, with various kinds of colours and aura-like structures appearing on her exam papers, along with bouts of nausea. Katie said she had also told doctors about feeling unstable when walking. However, despite several visits to the doctor, she was repeatedly told that it was just due to anxiety and stress because of upcoming

exams. But after her toilet incident, a detailed investigation found that Katie was suffering from severe hydrocephalus - an abnormal build-up of fluid within the brain. Katie then underwent an immediate drainage treatment and subsequent MRI, and CT scans disclosed she had a brain tumour, which was causing the fluid accumulation. Since then, Katie has undergone various kinds of surgeries to fit a shunt device intended to reduce cranial pressure.

Katie’s tumour cannot be removed

According to the doctors treating her, Katie’s tumour cannot be surgically removed – and so, she has to undergo MRI scans every eight months to monitor for any growth. She keeps suffering from several other health issues due to this, which include severe fatigue and chronic flu. “I'd walk like a drunk person and lean to one side and never be able to walk straight. I would get awful pain in my back, but everyone thought it was GCSE stress and said I needed vitamins,” Katie told Surrey Live. “Being so young, I didn't know what having a brain tumour meant for me," she said. "I couldn't believe that this was happening to me,” she added.

What is a brain tumour?

A brain tumour is an abnormal growth or mass of cells in or around your brain. Doctors say that together, spinal tumours and brain tumours are known as nervous system tumours. Brain tumours can be malignant or benign. Some tumors grow quickly, while others are slow-growing. Only about one-third of brain tumours are cancerous, but whether they are cancerous or not, brain tumours impact brain function and your health if they grow large enough to press on surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and tissue. There are more than 150 different brain tumours. Doctors categorize primary tumours as glial or non-glial and benign or malignant. Many types of brain tumours can also form in your spinal cord or column.

Who do brain tumours affect?

Brain tumours can affect anyone, but they are slightly more common in men. Experts say meningioma - usually benign - is the only type of brain tumour that is more common among women. The most serious type of brain tumour - glioblastoma- is becoming more common among people as the general population ages.

What causes a brain tumour?

While researchers do not know exactly what causes a tumour, studies say brain tumours develop when certain genes on the chromosomes of a cell are damaged and no longer function properly. Your DNA in your chromosomes tells cells throughout your body what to do; it tells them when to grow, when to divide or multiply, or when to die. When brain cell DNA changes, it gives your brain cells new instructions. Your body develops abnormal brain cells that grow and multiply faster than normal, and sometimes live longer than normal. When that happens, the ever-growing crowd of abnormal cells takes over space in your brain. In some cases, a person may be born with changes in one or more of these genes. Environmental factors, such as exposure to large amounts of radiation from X-rays or previous cancer treatment, may then lead to further damage. In other cases, the environmental injury to the genes may be the only cause.