EXCLUSIVE: 'I was laughed off by doctor over cancer fears then giant brain tumour stole my smile'
EXCLUSIVE: Tamara Bright, 31, from Teesside, says she was told her severe headaches and loss of balance were due to her contraception, vitamin B12 deficiency and not drinking enough water
A mum-to-be claims her GP 'laughed off' her cancer fears as they attributed her headaches to the contraceptive pill before her devastating cancer diagnosis. Tamara Bright had been experiencing severe headaches and balance issues since 2015, but claims her GP attributed these symptoms to her contraception, vitamin B12 deficiency, and inadequate water intake.
When the 31-year-old's vision in her right eye started to blur and she began losing hearing in her right ear, she sought help from an optician and audiologist.
The conveyancer was referred for an MRI by the audiologist in June 2023, which shockingly revealed a benign brain tumour that doctors believe had been present for over a decade, robbing her off her smile.
The 4cm tumour had been exerting pressure on the back of Tamara's eyes, causing the blurred vision, and also pressing on her brain stem.
Tamara underwent surgery in August 2023 and March 2024, where medics accessed the tumour through her right ear canal to remove it, before undergoing a round of radiosurgery in June 2024.
Before the operations, she was warned that she might temporarily develop Bell's palsy due to the tumour's location and has since lost control of the right side of her face. This is a temporary condition that causes sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face by affecting the facial nerve.
Now on the path to recovery, Tamara is encouraging anyone with unusual symptoms to keep pushing for answers from their doctors.
Tamara, from Teesside, said: "I was going to the doctors for years, as long as I can remember, but they just kept saying that the symptoms weren't anything serious.
"It was blamed on contraception, low B12 and even not drinking enough water. I couldn't walk in a straight line. I used to have to look at the floor to look at a line to pretty much walk straight.
"My eye started going blurry. That was one main sign that the GP was wrong and something was happening. I used to see little black dots, they looked like little worms.
"He [the audiologist] was one of the first people who took it seriously and that there was something definitely not right. He said for someone of my age and otherwise healthy, if you're starting to lose your hearing, there's an issue. There's something causing it.
"When he first told me he said, 'you don't have a huge brain tumour, you have a gigantic brain tumour'. Those were his words that I'll never forget.
"I think they couldn't believe I was going to work and living my life like it was normal but because I'd been told nothing was wrong I had no choice but to get on with it.
"I remember even during Covid-19 when you couldn't go to the doctors sitting on the phone and crying down the phone to them saying 'you need to help me, something's wrong' and just being told that I was fine.
"I felt all sorts of emotions. You go through the anger stage don't you? It didn't last for long but it's just I felt I knew. I'd been telling people for years and years that something was wrong.
"To get that acknowledgment that you're right, there is something wrong and there's something we can do is huge."
The already harrowing diagnosis was made even more frightening for Tamara as she had tragically lost her mum, Amanda, to a cancerous brain tumour in her late 30s.
Tamara said: "They knew my mum's background and never looked into it really. I even said to my doctor, could it be that [a brain tumour like her mum had]? And I was laughed off and told I was overthinking it."
Tamara, who is expecting a baby boy in November with 34-year-old fiancé Jordan Pell, said after he's born she will look into potential treatment options for the Bell's palsy.
Tamara said: "It's definitely been really hard to deal with. You don't want to come across as though that's what you care about but it does make a huge difference.
"You don't want people to look at you and know that something's wrong as well. I get a lot of people asking me if I've had a stroke. I can't do a normal smile and obviously it affects my speech as well, which is getting better.
"It's affected my confidence loads. It's quite hard-hitting when you look in the mirror and it's not what you're not used to seeing back. My partner's been great. Not once have I felt unattractive to him but it's just my personal confidence.
"I look back at old photos now that I used to complain about or say, 'I don't like that one' and think actually, 'nothing is wrong with that old photo'.
"It's also really hard when kids say something to you because obviously they don't understand. You can't explain to them what's wrong but they're looking at you differently because they know something's wrong.
"It makes me feel sad really. I think I've gotten used to it over time but it still catches me off-guard sometimes."
Now, Tamara is encouraging anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to seek medical advice.
Tamara said: "You know your body better than anyone else does. So if you have a strong feeling, and know that something's wrong and the doctors are telling you there isn't, keep pushing."