A woman who ignored her “constant” headaches for five years was shocked to learn they were caused by a rare and incurable brain tumor.
Jade McMaster, 32, suffered from headaches that ‘came out of the blue’ but were controlled with paracetamol.
But the Royal Bank of Scotland personal assistant in Glasgow was rushed to hospital in October 2017 after collapsing at a petrol station.
She was rushed to the hospital, where the doctor discovered a rare brain tumor and performed a 10-hour surgery to remove as much of it as possible.
However, it returned in 2021, forcing Ms McMaster to undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy to kill the cancer.
Scans in early 2023 confirmed the tumor is now at a ‘manageable level’ and Ms McMaster is now urging others not to ignore their health concerns.
Jade McMaster ignored her ‘constant’ headache for five years and was later diagnosed in 2017 with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma brain tumor
In emergency surgery, 85 percent of her tumor was removed after she collapsed and suffered a seizure at a gas station in Scotland in October 2017.
Mrs McMaster said: ‘The headache just came out of nowhere and I didn’t think about it.
“You just take some paracetamol and think you’ll be fine.”
But after she collapsed at a petrol station in October 2017, she was taken in an ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
Mrs. McMaster said, “I was cold and didn’t remember anything.
“I woke up battered, bruised and confused in the hospital surrounded by my loved ones.
“Somehow they used my phone to call my emergency contacts, which were my parents, Jackie and Robert, who then dropped everything to get to the hospital.”
During a two-day hospital stay, she had several scans.
The results revealed that she had secondary epilepsy – a form of epilepsy caused by an underlying brain disorder.
Further examination revealed that she had a 4 cm brain tumor on her left temporal lobe, which doctors diagnosed as a grade 2 oligodendroglioma.
Oligodendroglioma brain tumors can be malignant or benign. They account for about three in 100 brain tumors diagnosed, according to Cancer Research UK.
About 500 people in the UK and 1,200 in the US are diagnosed with oligodendroglioma each year.
Grade two oligodendroglioma tumors grow very slowly.
Common symptoms include headache, nausea or vomiting, and seizures.
If it is large, surgery is performed to remove as much as possible.
Mrs McMaster said: ‘I really didn’t expect to hear that I had a mass in my brain. It was confusing.
Not knowing why was the hardest part. There was no reason behind the tumor.
“I lived a happy, healthy lifestyle for everyone my age.
“I don’t have a family with brain tumors either, so it was a complete shock to everyone.”
In December 2017, medics rushed her for a 10-hour surgery to remove the mass.
But only 85 percent of the tumor could be removed because of its location in the temporal lobe — a part of the brain important for language, memory and facial recognition.
Despite 10 hours of life-saving surgery and four years of regular checkups, her worst fear came true in 2021 when Mass returned
Jade, who is a personal assistant at the Royal Bank of Scotland, Glasgow, underwent 33 sessions of radiotherapy and 12 sessions of chemotherapy. The tumor is now manageable
As a result, Ms. McMaster was told to attend regular checkups, known as a ‘watch and wait’ approach.
She said: ‘I was awake during the surgery so they could track where my speech was affected if they removed too much.
“I’m grateful to speak, but I’m sure people would be happier if I didn’t speak so much.”
Ms McMaster said she was well supported by her partner Thomas Owens, 32, a floor installer, as well as by her employer, the Royal Bank of Scotland.
She said, “I don’t think it affected my career.
“I was off for six months but came straight back to work in 2018 and have never had any issues and have been well supported ever since.
“It made my friendships stronger and made me realize who my real friends were in the toughest times.”
But in June 2021, doctors told her the tumor had returned and she underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Now the tumor is at a manageable level and she is treating her epilepsy with anticonvulsants.
She said, ‘It’s like a never-ending cycle. I knew it would happen, even though it’s growing so slowly, but it’s still frustrating.’
After 33 radiation treatments and 12 chemotherapy, she completed her last course in November 2022.
Mrs McMaster said: ‘I was exhausted and losing my hair – but it was to be expected.
“The work was supportive and understanding, they only gave me what was manageable.
“I didn’t want to just lie in bed and moan all day. I didn’t want it to stop me from living my life – I just couldn’t.”
February 2023 scans showed the tumor was at a manageable level.
She now has regular checkups and scans to monitor the tumor.
She said, “I’d rather fight it and get as much joy and love in my life than lay down and feel sorry for myself.
“If you are positive, everything works well. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.’
Ms. McMaster is now urging anyone with even the slightest symptoms and out-of-the-blue headaches to seek professional help.
She said, “It shouldn’t have come to this, if the attack had happened five minutes earlier while I was driving I wouldn’t be here telling you this story.
‘If your headaches are too frequent, go to your GP and ask for a scan.
“Be persistent and fight for your life.”