A mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour after medics believed she simply had leg weakness. Susan Rowlett, 63, visited her GP regarding leg pain, but initial tests and an MRI revealed everything appeared normal.
She was prescribed squats and lunge exercises, but when her discomfort persisted, she underwent another MRI 10 months later. The scan revealed a “golf ball-sized tumour” and she was diagnosed with a meningioma before undergoing a seven-hour operation to have it removed.
The mother-of-two now relies on a walking frame to move about and has experienced several tumbles due to balance issues. She requires two yearly scans to monitor her tumour.
Susan, from Dorking, Surrey, said: “I had various tests on my legs, which came back normal, and I was sent for an MRI scan. A tumour was never on my radar, so when they told me the golf ball-sized growth on my brain that I could’ve been born with, I was in disbelief.”
Susan began experiencing leg pain during lockdown and consulted her doctor in September 2020. Testing revealed nothing was amiss, but she was given exercises to attempt to alleviate her discomfort.
However, when this failed to bring improvement she arranged an MRI at a private hospital and received her diagnosis in July 2021.
She said: “I was in good health when I was diagnosed, it came completely out of the blue. I often think of pop star Tom Parker, who was diagnosed with an aggressive tumour around the same time as me. He was young, famous, had his whole life ahead of him, but this disease doesn’t care who you are.
“Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. And now even Davina (McCall) has shared her diagnosis. It’s far more common than people realise and yet research remains hugely underfunded.”
Susan’s daughter, Lindsay, 34, has raised nearly £700 for the charity by participating in the 200k in May Your Way for Brain Tumour Research.
Susan said: “Brain Tumour Research is a cause close to my heart. I’m incredibly proud of Lindsay and everything she’s doing to raise awareness. Until you or someone you love is affected, you don’t realise how little progress has been made in treating this disease.
“That must change. By sharing my story, I hope to inspire change and highlight the urgent need for more research, so that fewer families face this heartbreak.”
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re grateful to Susan for sharing her story. One in three people knows someone affected by a brain tumour and there are more than 100 different types of brain tumour, making them notoriously difficult to find effective treatments for.
“Susan is helping to shine a light on brain tumours. We’re so grateful to have her and her family’s support and together we will find a cure for all types of brain tumours.”