She initially mistook the signs for flu but when it did not subside for a long time, Nimah got a CT scan done which confirmed her worst fears (Pic: SWNS/iStock)
A young British girl thought the headaches she had endured since childhood were due to failing immunity, as she also caught colds often. For 26-year-old Niamh Rose Mulheron, many other symptoms began appearing before she got her shocking diagnosis of a brain tumour.
She initially mistook the signs for the flu, but when they did not subside for a long time, Nimah got a CT scan done, which confirmed her worst fears. However, since she got the tumour removed, Niamh, a childcare practitioner from Glasglow, has been left with limited peripheral vision, which she said is a constant reminder of her diagnosis. But she refuses to let it hold her back.
"After I was diagnosed, we found out that the tumour was pressing on my optic nerve, which is why I went blind before my diagnosis. That caused a lot of damage to my eyes; I have no peripheral vision at all. That is why I have to wear glasses, but they don't really help because of the damage the tumour has caused,” she said.
"It has affected me a lot; it is something that reminds me of everything that happened. As I have no peripheral vision at all, I am constantly on edge because I can't see properly," Nimah added.
What were Nimah’s symptoms other than headaches?
Nimah said apart from battling severe and constant headaches, in the weeks leading up to her diagnosis of ganglioglioma - a rare brain tumour composed of both neuronal and glial cells. Niamh then had two further surgeries: one to remove a bone flap when she got an infection and another to remove a second tumour that started growing in her brain.
Nimah was extremely tired and began vomiting while trying to eat food, which she thought was related to the flu. “The headaches started to intensify. I would eat and be sick when I was digesting food - I thought I had caught a bug,” she added.
One day after waking up, Nimah realised she had blurred vision, and that is when she got a detailed checkup done for her condition. When a CT scan revealed a mass in the brain, she was transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for emergency surgery to remove the tumour. "Looking back on when I first got diagnosed, I honestly felt like my whole world and life were crumbling,” she added.
What is ganglioglioma?
Ganglioglioma is a rare type of brain tumour made up of a mixture of neuronal cells and glial cells. Neuronal cells form neurons in your brain, which carry information throughout your body. Glial cells form the structure of your central nervous system and interact closely with neurons, helping them function correctly.
Gangliogliomas are also known as mixed neuronal-glial tumours. Gangliogliomas are typically small, slow-growing, and non-cancerous. While they usually do not spread to other parts of your body. Most gangliogliomas are low-grade gliomas that are not cancerous and have a low risk of returning. A glioma is a brain or spinal cord tumour that develops when glial cells grow out of control. These are aggressive and have a high risk of recurrence.
Signs and symptoms of gangliogliomas
Gangliogliomas most often occur near your temporal lobes, which are located near your ears. Because of their position in your brain, they tend to cause epilepsy. So, seizures may be your first clue that a ganglioglioma is present. Other ganglioglioma symptoms usually develop slowly. Depending on the location of the tumour in your brain, symptoms may include:
- Headaches, like upon waking up in the morning
- Nausea and vomiting
- Double vision
- Unsteady gait and walk
-
Fatigue and tiredness
- Dizziness and nausea
- Weakness on one side of your body
