Keen cyclist, Andy from Bromham, Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with a low-grade meningioma in August 2023 following a series of vacant seizures. He had surgery two months later after which, in November, the construction director suffered another seizure which caused him to fracture his lower spine. Less than a year later, the fifty-six-year-old took part in a 500-mile cycle ride to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. Andy considers himself lucky following stable scans after his brain tumour treatment and wants to share his story to help raise awareness of the disease.
Andy tells his story…
It’s been 11 months since I had an operation at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge to remove my brain tumour and nine since my last seizure in November 2023, which is when I broke my back.
Despite all of this, I’ve just completed a three-day, 500-mile cycle relay in France, to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.
My symptoms began with vacant seizures in May 2023. I was with my wife, Lisa, at a construction event in Reading. We were talking to our friends, and I found myself acting strange. My body was swaying, and I was trying to talk but couldn’t. I was aware of what was happening but had no control. Thirty seconds later I came back around and was fine. I told Lisa and we both thought nothing more.
On holiday in Crete months later, I checked a work email on my phone and jumped up, the act of which made me feel weird.
“I laid back down and soon felt Lisa slapping my face and screaming. I came round 40 seconds later surrounded by people who thought I was having a heart attack.”
On my return to the UK, I used my private health insurance for a consultation in July at Cambridge Hospital – Nuffield Health to find out what was happening. The doctor thought I could have a dissociative disorder related to stress and booked an MRI scan to be sure.
I was told the scan would take 15 minutes but as it went on, I caught a glimpse of the radiographers staring closely at their screens. As I lay in the machine, several times they came and asked if this was a second MRI or a follow-up to tests to which I answered no. This made me think they had seen something abnormal on the image.
I had a call shortly after and was told I had a walnut-sized meningioma growing on my brain. I was in disbelief. It was weird because they never used the words ‘brain tumour’. I spoke to friends in the medical field who made me feel at ease and since then I think that’s the approach I’ve taken with my diagnosis.
I was sent to Addenbrookes for surgery performed by Dr Thomas Santarius on 7 October. As the tumour was causing my seizures, this was considered the best course of action. Despite the risk I could be left with life-changing injuries, the surgeon removed 95-98% of the mass and for an hour or two after, I couldn’t move my left leg.
Things started to click into place. The year before my brain tumour diagnosis, I felt tired and had aches and pains. I’d seen a cardiologist, had cameras here and there but results showed no cause for concern. I was disorientated and irritable and had worn a hearing aid for almost six years. All these symptoms were likely signs of my brain tumour and meningioma are typically slow-growing, about 2-5mm a year my doctor said.
“I reckon I’ve been living with a brain tumour for the last few years, including running three marathons.”
Six weeks after the operation, I was sitting at home, feeling quite bored. I’m part of a running club and a cyclist. I was busy in my role as a director at a construction company and was always on the go. I hopped on the Peloton bike and enjoyed a static cycle.
I went upstairs for a shower. Lisa brought up a cup of tea for me and instead found me stood, head against a wall with blood on my face. Doctors initially thought I’d suffered a bleed on the brain and after spending a night on the stroke ward in Bedford Hospital I was discharged and told I’d suffered a tonic-clonic seizure.
A week later, I was cutting the grass when I had a call from the hospital who told me I’d broken two vertebrae in my lumbar spine. They advised me to rest for at least three months and said to not lift or bend. This was tough for me. As someone who has always been active in my work and personal life, I struggled.
In total, I had a year away from cycling, from my first seizure in May 2023 to when I felt well enough after my brain tumour treatment and broken back. I started to get back to an exercise regime of running and cycling.
My last two scans confirmed my tumour is stable and I’m currently on a watch and wait. I know my tumour is likely to grow and if that’s the case I will need further medical intervention.
I consider myself lucky that there have been options to treat the type of brain tumour I have. What shocked me, was learning just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
I’ve realised that my brain tumour is something that will be with me for the long term and there’s still a journey ahead of me. My diagnosis has allowed me to refocus on what is important in my life and by sharing my story, I hope to make a difference for the brain tumour community and their families.
Andy Morris
Published September 2024
Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer... yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.
If you have been inspired by Andy’s story, you may like to make a donation via www.braintumourresearch.org/donate or leave a gift in your will via www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy
Together we will find a cure