The young woman claims that doctors initially dismissed her “ridiculous episodes” as panic attacks, but her mother recognized them as a sign of something more serious, writes the newspaper. Jessie-Mae Lambert, 27, visited her GP when she they discovered strange sensations and visual disturbances that her doctor attributed to anxiety. It wasn’t until her mom recognized these “events” as seizures and insisted she be sent to the hospital that the young woman was diagnosed with a stage 2 brain tumor.
“In October last year I started having ‘episodes’ where I felt a bit out of sorts but the doctor said they were panic attacks and put me on anti-anxiety medication. It wasn’t until it happened in front of my mum that she realized it was a seizure and took me back to the GP. Unbelievable, but he said I had to decide if it was panic attacks or seizures, even though I always just described the symptoms to him,” the young woman described her condition.
“They finally sent me to the hospital where they told me I needed an MRI and an EEG. They put me on a waiting list and I was getting more and more worried. I called every day to try to cancel the examination and I argued with all the staff. In April, however, I got an appointment at the last minute and the magnetic resonance revealed the tumor. My oncologist showed me the picture and I can’t describe the feeling – total panic went through my whole body. It was terrible when I looked at my mom and saw how desperate she was too, but I had to learn that not everyone can be lucky,” Jessie said.
The young woman then underwent a six-hour operation. However, the 4 x 3 cm tumor surrounded the artery, so only 40% of the tumor could be removed. Jessie was told that 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 able to go home the next day, she later developed an infection and spent a week on intravenous antibiotics.
“Just before the operation, I wasn’t as scared as one might expect, actually I was just relieved that I was finally going to the gym. When I woke up I asked if I could still walk and was very relieved to be able to move my toes and talk. But because part of the tumor remained there, I then had to undergo six weeks of radiotherapy at Nottingham City Hospital. The journey there took an hour every day and I was not allowed to drive. My mom was beyond amazing and some of my friends even took time off work to drive me. Radiotherapy was not a pleasant experience and led to a return of the epilepsy I had been warned about, but it was important to try to get rid of some of the grade three cells that showed up on the scan.” brave Jessie revealed.
She also documented every step of her treatment on TikTok to raise awareness of the symptoms and provide support to others going through similar experiences. “I’ve been contacted by so many girls who feel like they’re struggling to be taken seriously. They all feel like they’re not being listened to, which I felt too. That’s why I’m telling my story publicly. Because people have to be uncomfortable, every day calling their doctors, pestering them to book an examination. You have to trust your body and push and push. Never take no for an answer. I’m lucky in a way because my tumor was pushing something that caused the epilepsy, but it could have been a lot worse in the years to come,” Jessie appeals to anyone who feels their doctors aren’t taking them seriously.
Now that Jessie has finished radiotherapy, she hopes to return to work at least one day a week and is also planning a trip to Italy to cheer on a marathon runner who is competing on her behalf. Phoebe Collier, from Derby, found out about Jessie’s situation from a mutual friend and within six weeks, she collected more than 1,500 euros for brain tumor research completing three marathons in three countries.
Jessie knows she will never be fully healthy again and will be under surveillance for the rest of her life. He will have to undergo an examination every three months so that doctors can monitor whether the tumor has grown. “It’s very scary to think that I’ll spend the rest of my life waiting for good or bad news. But I don’t want it to beat me. I’ve survived brain surgery, infection and radiotherapy – I’m determined to keep fighting.” she added in conclusion.
