His wife ‘nagged’ him to get his glasses fixed
Mark Barrow
A man found out he had a brain tumour – after accidentally sitting on his glasses. Unsuspecting Mark Barrow, 51, was “nagged” by his wife to get his glasses replaced after breaking them early this year.
After going to the opticians to get new glasses and for a routine check, he was told to see his GP over fears he had high blood pressure. Just weeks later, Mark had a dizzy turn when driving home from work and was rushed to A&E at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
There, he had three MRI scans before doctors detected a glioma – a type of cancerous tumour – in his brain in January.
Mark, who had never been to a hospital or taken a sick day before showing up at A&E, had also suffered a mini-stroke and was confirmed to have high blood pressure. Because the tumour is small, Mark has been told that he needs regular monitoring rather than immediate surgery.
The Stoke on Trent retail manager said: “It didn’t sink in. I’ve always been fit and healthy, I hadn’t even been to the doctor since I was 16. Even now, it still feels surreal. If I hadn’t broken my glasses, I might never have known about the tumour until it was too late.”
Now Mark will need further MRI scans every 12 months – but tests have shown no signs of growth so far. He said his mental state had been up and down since the news.
“I have good and bad days,” he said. “Some days I feel angry, and others I’m optimistic. I know I’ve been lucky so far, I’ve had no symptoms, no mobility or speech problems, and life has carried on as normal.”
He now wants to “do something positive” to help others going through the “awful journey”.
Mark is taking on Brain Tumour Research’s 99 Miles in November challenge to raise money and awareness for life-saving research. Participants will clock up the miles by walking, running, cycling or swimming throughout the month.
Mark said: “Shockingly, there are over 100 different types of brain tumours. Brain Tumour Research is the only charity that invests in continuous research at Centres of Excellence across the UK. Hopefully, one day they’ll find a cure.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer and more men under 75 than prostate cancer, according to Brain Tumour Research. But the charity says just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
Community development manager Letty Greenfield added: “We’re so grateful to Mark for sharing his story and taking on the 99 Miles in November challenge. Stories like his highlight how unpredictable and devastating brain tumours can be, sometimes discovered completely by chance. His determination to turn his diagnosis into something positive is truly inspiring.”
To support Mark’s fund-raiser, click here.
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