Sean Sweeney, 31, was diagnosed with a high-grade astrocytoma in July 2022. He shares why research into brain tumours is so important for people like him.
Before my diagnosis, I’d experienced some symptoms. Lots of headaches as you might expect, but also muscle pain in my neck with a tingling sensation down the right side of my body. I thought I might have sustained an injury from weight training, but despite several physiotherapy sessions, nothing improved. I had a lingering sense that something wasn’t right.
It was after I suffered a large seizure in the night that we knew my symptoms were being caused by something far more serious. I was blue-lighted to A&E, where a CT scan revealed a lesion on my brain.
In that moment, I just felt numb.
At first, doctors thought the tumour was low-grade. That offered us some relief, but it was short-lived.
After a nine-and-a-half-hour craniotomy, I was told the tumour was a grade 3 astrocytoma. I had been officially diagnosed with brain cancer.
I’ve been told I have up to 10 years to live. As a young man in my early 30s, with a loving wife and family and so much to live for, that’s a devastating blow.
My type of brain tumour needs long-term treatment and monitoring. The impact of that treatment is life-changing. I suffered a stroke during surgery, which left me with problems walking and my face drooping on one side (although, thanks to rehabilitation, you’d never know). It took me six months to start feeling like Sean again, although I’ll always live with the long-term side effects.
When I was given my diagnosis, my first thoughts were on my wife Lucy and my family. It's been hard for us all to come to terms with the fact that there is no cure for me, but they’ve been fundamental in getting me through my diagnosis.
A particular shout out goes to my father-in-law, Carl. He ferried me to and from hospital and on those drives our relationship blossomed. Together we took on Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4 cycling challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. That was a massive milestone for me. Not only was it my first ever endurance event, but I completed it after all the treatment and surgery I’d gone through. And we raised more than £2,500 in the process!
I also worked with Brain Tumour Research to share my story. People know about other types of cancer but brain cancer can fly under the radar, even though it is so devastating. I never thought in a million years that my story would have interest from national publications such as OK! Magazine and The Mirror. But it means the world to me that I’m helping to raise awareness.
It’s shocking how little funding brain tumours receive compared to other cancers. Finishing treatment doesn’t mean everything goes back to normal – you’re still living with the impact, and for high-grade tumours like mine there still isn’t a cure.
Knowing that there is dedicated research into high-grade astrocytoma taking place at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth is a real step forward to improving the situation.
I know it’s unlikely my situation will change, and I’m realistic about that. But I try to stay hopeful too. Knowing that scientists are working hard to uncover more about the type of tumour I’m living with and find new ways to treat it, gives me real hope that future generations will have better options.
To donate to help fund research, please click here. You can also set up a monthly gift and help us go even further in the fight to find a cure for brain tumours.
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