- Lois McLennan had severe headaches and pains in her limbs for six months
- She then collapsed while staying with friends in London and went to AE
- A scan revealed abnormalities and she was transferred to a specialist centre
- Was told she would die unless a shunt was fitted to drain fluid from her brain
- She had further surgery and radiotherapy and is now doing well
05:44 EST, 25 March 2014
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06:06 EST, 25 March 2014
A young brain tumour patient who was told she would die if she didn’t have an emergency procedure has made a remarkable recovery.
Lois McLennan, 23, had continuous headaches and severe shooting pains in her arms and legs for six months before she collapsed while staying with friends in London.
The studio administrator, from Stockport, Manchester, underwent a series of tests and doctors found she had fluid on the brain.
Lois McLennan was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour after she collapsed while staying with friends
As a result, she was transferred to The National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery, in central London.
Scans revealed she had a cancerous brain tumour and she had to be given a life-saving shunt to drain fluid from her brain and relieve the pressure inside her skull.
Ms McLennan said: ‘I was absolutely petrified because I knew I’d been unwell for some time but I had no idea it was so serious.
‘Doctors told me if I didn’t have the shunt I could have died. I’ve never been so worried in my life.
‘I was having really bad headaches for quite a long time and I ended up going to the doctors almost every week and they gave me medication but it didn’t work.
‘I started to lose the feeling in my arms and legs – it was like a really severe kind of pins and needles, so I knew it was something more serious.’
Ms McLennan (pictured during her treatment) was told she would die unless doctors were able to fit a shunt to drain fluid from inside her skull and to reduce the pressure on her brain
Ms McLennan had to have surgery and radiotherapy in a bid to treat the tumour which spread to her spine
Ms McLennan says she took a turn for the worse while visiting friends in London.
She said: ‘I went to London to visit some friends last summer on a scorching hot day and I remember my leg going incredibly numb.
WHAT IS A SHUNT?
A shunt is a thin plastic tube that is inserted during surgery.
It is used to treat people with fluid on the brain.
Without it, the fluid can cause pressure inside the skull to build up and, in extreme cases, this can be fatal.
The shunt transports excess fluid into another part of the body – usually the abdomen.
From here, it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
The shunt surgery usually takes place under general anaesthetic and takes one to two hours.
Source: NHS Choices
‘All of a sudden I fell over in front of my mates. I had no control of my leg and I just crashed to the ground.
‘I went to AE and they told me I was going to need a CT scan and then afterwards they told me I was going to be transferred to the neurology department because they spotted something on my brain scan.
‘An MRI scan showed that I had a fluid block in my brain and that I’d need a shunt, where fluid is passed from one part of the body to another, to drain the fluid.
‘It’s was a truly frightening experience for myself and my family but I felt much better when I got transferred closer to home.’
Ms McLennan was rocked by the news that she may lose the ability to walk due to her cancer and doctors even told her she could become infertile.
She said: ‘I’d been in the hospital in London for a few weeks then they were able to transfer me to The Christie so I could be closer to home.
‘They thought my tumour was benign at first, but then after more tests they found out the cancer had spread to my spine.
‘I was actually told that I could lose the ability to walk and that there was a chance I’d have to be fed through a tube in the future.
Ms McLennan (pictured with her mother, Zita) said: ‘I was absolutely petrified because I knew I’d been unwell for some time but I had no idea it was so serious’
Ms McLennan was told she could lose the ability to walk or become infertile as a result of her illness and treatment. She is pictured with her father, Tony
‘I was also told that treatment could make me infertile which was very upsetting.’
Ms McLennan started six weeks of radiotherapy at The Christie Hospital in Manchester in September 2013 and required hour-long sessions every day.
After finishing the therapy in November, she was told there was still a 50 per cent chance of the cancer returning, and if it did it was likely to prove fatal.
She continues to have check-ups every three months at The Christie Hospital and her family have rallied to raise funds to thanks staff for all they have done for her.
Ms McLennan’s mother, Zita, 54, took part in a sponsored slim to raise money for the hospital.
Ms McLennan is doing well but has to have check-ups every three months. She’s pictured having radiotherapy
Ms McLennon has been told there is a 50 per cent chance of her tumour returning. Image shows the back of her head after surgery
She raised £4,000 by shedding 18lbs in just seven weeks.
She commented: ‘We all wanted to do something to show the staff how much we appreciated what they did for her. They were incredible.
‘It was a constant stream of bad news for six months and there just seemed to be one blow after another.
‘Watching my daughter suffer in that was heart-breaking, but staff at the hospital were fantastic.
‘The support I’ve received has been overwhelming and seeing the money total shoot up has been a real incentive.’
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Poppy,
E Anglia,
16 minutes ago
What an exceptionally beautiful young lady this is. I wish her all the very best.
Steve.,
Huddersfield, United Kingdom,
32 minutes ago
Beautiful girl, hope she makes a full recovery!
mistyfelix666,
Edinburgh,
45 minutes ago
What a beautiful brave girl ..
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