A mum suffering from excruciating headaches thought she had a trapped nerve before being told she had two brain tumours.
Kaylee Crawshaw, 33, was initially told her agony could be the product of a trapped nerve. But a CT scan revealed two shadows on her brain, which she was told were likely to be cancerous.
Funeral arranger Kaylee compared the tumours, which measured 5cm and 1cm respectively, to a lime and a gooseberry. She said she referred to her brain as a "fruit bowl" before the larger of the two was removed last week.
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Kaylee, from Dorset, is now waiting to hear if she will need any further treatment following a biopsy. She had a craniotomy at University Hospital Southampton on October 26.
Kaylee said: "I came out with almost no side effects, aside from half of my head being shaved. I decided to shave it before surgery as my hair is my pride and joy.
"I donated it to The Little Princess Trust. I now get tired easily, but I have my eyesight which is something doctors warned could be impacted. Whatever the results of my tumour are, we will face them together as a family.”
Kaylee is currently fundraising as part of Brain Tumour Research's 100 Squats or Star Jumps a Day in November challenge. The mum-of-one added: "I completed 200 squats before my operation to get a head start and during the month.
"This month I’ll be supported by my daughter, Eleanor, my fiancé and my brother on days where I feel tired. Being faced with something so horrendous, I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I thought.
“I’m deeply passionate about this cause and encouraging people to get checked out if they feel something isn’t right. My diagnosis came quickly after I experienced headaches.
"I know that some patients may have a different experience. We need to better understand this disease to give families a fighting chance of staying together.”
Mel Tiley, of Brain Tumour Research said: “We wish Kaylee all the best during her recovery from surgery. Her story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any time."
Brain Tumour Research is calling on the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more on research into brain tumours to speed up new treatment. The charity says one in three people know someone affected by a brain tumour and that they kill more under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
Yet, historically, just 1%of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours.
You can donate to Kaylee's fundraiser here
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