Former Royal Marine, 42, dismissed headaches as ‘eye strain’ from too much screen time – now he has fatal brain tumour and just a year to live

A former Marine says his symptoms of the deadliest form of brain tumor were dismissed by doctors as “dehydration” and a result of too much screen time.

James Greenwood, 42, of Mold, North Wales, had been suffering from dizziness and ‘constant, dull headaches’ since May.

He visited his GP twice and was told that his problems were probably due to a combination of tired eyes and not drinking enough water because of his office job at an estate agency.

However, within a month he began to suffer from severe headaches, so he went to the emergency room and demanded more scans.

To his horror, doctors discovered a walnut-sized glioblastoma, grade four – the deadliest form of fast-growing brain tumor – and gave him a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.

On June 28, James underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor, followed by six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

He is now waiting to see if the treatment has improved his prognosis before starting more intensive chemotherapy at the end of October.

James has tried to ‘enjoy’ every moment since his diagnosis, a mentality he attributes to the training he received in the Royal Marines, where he served for five years from the age of 18.

“For me, it’s about being as normal as possible,” he said. “There’s a lot of belief in people who say positivity is a huge benefit in the fight against disease. I just can’t imagine dealing with this any other way.”

James first noticed something was wrong with his health when he was talking to his brother-in-law on May 24 and started feeling dizzy.

He said: ‘My vision was a little shaky and I had to sit down for a moment. I’ve always been very healthy, so I thought it was a bit unusual.’

Shortly afterwards, James developed a headache, which started as a “constant” and “dull” ache.

He made an appointment with his GP for June 5, where he was told that his symptoms were likely related to dehydration and that he might be overdue for an eye test.

James also underwent a blood test and an electrocardiogram (ECG), a non-invasive test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, but said both tests raised “no concerns.”

After ‘struggling’ for a few days, James said he had an unusual episode in Manchester on June 10.

“I was walking through the city and it felt like I was outside of my body. Everything around me slowed down,” he said.

He was given an appointment with his GP the same day and was told that his symptoms were consistent with migraines.

‘I’ve never had migraines in the past so I was sceptical. As with my first appointment with my GP, I insisted on some kind of scan – maybe it was a sixth sense or something, but I just knew how I felt and I was mainly trying to get some peace of mind.’

James said he had been prescribed migraine medication and that he should reschedule by the end of the week if the medication did not have the desired effect.

Two days later, James woke up around 5 a.m. with a severe headache and went to the emergency room with his girlfriend.

A CT scan was performed, which revealed a mass measuring three and a half by three and a half centimeters in the right temporal lobe of his brain.

James’ case was escalated and a neurosurgeon told him that his symptoms were consistent with a high-grade tumor.

On June 28, he underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor. On August 8, he was told it was a grade four glioblastoma and that the prognosis was 12 to 18 months.

“There are days you have to pinch yourself and wonder if this is really happening,” James said.

“It’s incredibly difficult to receive the news. At first you’re shocked, but then you have to process it and try to find something positive in it.”

James underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to improve his prognosis.

On September 19, he completed his final session of radiotherapy and will take a month off before beginning more intensive chemotherapy in late October.

According to him, this, in combination with regular MRI scans, should provide insight into how effective the treatment is.

“Oddly enough, it was kind of liberating,” James said.

‘I think everyone is guilty of taking others for granted, your loved ones, friends, family, but it has allowed me to reconnect with some old friends. I think it has made the family bond stronger.

“It changes your perspective and it’s a bit cliché, but you try to enjoy every moment.”

James said he has tried to adopt a positive attitude. He says his time in the Royal Marines, which he joined in May 2000 and where he served for five years, has helped him do this.

‘It gives you the confidence that no matter what situation or scenario you face, you can get through it.

“When you find yourself in a situation like that, it resonates and it makes sense.”

On September 21, James and three of his friends ran the Edale Skyline, a 20-mile walking route through the Peak District, with the aim of fundraising for brain tumour research, raising over £14,000 so far.

“It went really well. It was like revisiting my version of normal. I wanted to completely escape from the daily grind and it worked,” James said.

‘It has always been on my wish list to raise a fixed amount of money for a good cause during my lifetime. The fact that we have reached this amount is truly incredible.’

‘I probably won’t benefit from it myself, but if more is invested in the treatment in the future and more knowledge is gained about the treatment, others may benefit from it.’