'Medics thought my migraines were caused by the menopause - an eye test changed everything'
14.01.2024 - 18:13
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mum who spent years battling agonising migraines doctors said were caused by the menopause was left shocked when one simple test revealed a 7.5 inch brain tumour.
Sarah Kelly, 42, went to A&E in March 2023 after the headaches and migraines she had been battling for years took a turn for the worse. The social worker said she had 'clear red flags', but doctors continued to believe hormonal changes were behind her headaches.
She was handed medication, but her condition continued to plummet and she decided to go for an eye test 'out of desperation'. The visit revealed that her optic discs were swollen, and Sarah was referred to hospital. The next day, she underwent tests including a head CT scan and, as a result, was diagnosed with a grade one meningioma brain tumour.
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Sarah, who lives in Northumberland with her partner Stuart Long, 57, a postman, and her two children from a previous relationship, Jake, 22, and Ryan, 16, said she had 'accepted' the symptoms as part of the menopause, but now recognises she didn't know the signs to look for.
She added she hadn't had an eye test in 10 years, and that if she had kept up with her routine eye tests the tumour 'would have been picked up a lot sooner'. Now, she wants to encourage others to get their eyes tested.
“Because my eyesight has always been fine, I never kept up with check-ups, but now I’m always telling people to go get their eye tests. It could be a life-saving appointment," she continued.
For the past 10 years, Sarah had been battling headaches and migraines that would cause her to experience numbness and slurred speech and, after multiple trips to her doctor, she had accepted