I was 35, fit and healthy when I noticed a strange symptom that turned my life upside down. Now I’m stranded in Australia and the plane trip home could make me blind

Fit and healthy, Tanja Dittfeld was living her dream this year after moving from Denmark to Australia as part of her PhD studies.

But when she went to the doctor in October with “blurred” vision, the social change and social work student never expected that they would later find a 2.2cm tumor on the pituitary gland in her brain.

Just over a week later, on November 3, she suffered another devastating blow when she was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a rare hormonal condition caused by the tumor, which causes her blurred vision, fatigue, physical weakness, headaches, muscle loss and a feeling in her back.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Tanja, 35, said that if she had known about the growth earlier, she would not have moved as she is now stranded far away from her family and in urgent need of treatment.

Normally pituitary tumors are smaller than 1 cm, but Tanja’s is more than twice as large; it has caused excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, leaving her in constant ‘fight or flight mode’ and ‘unable to relax’.

Normally pituitary tumors are smaller than 1 cm, but Tanja’s is more than twice as large. The tumor has caused an excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, causing Tanja to be constantly in ‘fight or flight mode’ and ‘unable to relax’ (photo before diagnosis)

Her neurosurgeon strongly advised against returning home because the pressure of a flight could cause the tumor to burst and cause blindness. That’s why she made the difficult decision to stay in Australia.

On November 15, she had to undergo emergency surgery to prevent possible brain damage and permanent blindness. Doctors think the tumor is benign, but won’t know for sure until a biopsy is performed.

The rare Cushing’s syndrome causes her to have “harsh” symptoms and she describes her vision as feeling “like butter has been spread on both eyes.”

“It’s really hard to understand what makes reading and navigating difficult,” she said.

Cushing’s disease can be fatal if left untreated. Surgery is the first option to remove the tumor, followed by any necessary medication.

In early 2023, she suffered from visual impairment in one eye and visited an ophthalmologist in Denmark who told her she had ‘dry eyes’.

It wasn’t until she visited an ophthalmologist in Sydney that the word “tumor” was mentioned as a possibility.

‘I’m incredibly worried. What if something goes wrong or I lose my sight? It is brain surgery and there will be a tough recovery later,” Tanja said before her operation.

“I’m shocked at the possibility that something could happen, but I know it’s necessary. It’s a catch-22 situation.’

She moved from Denmark to Australia in July but received the devastating news in October. Her neurosurgeon strongly advised against returning home because the pressure of a flight could cause the tumor to burst and cause blindness

The terrifying scenario led three close friends to… GoFundMe campaign for her.

Cushing’s disease is non-hereditary and the cause of the tumor remains unknown.

While pituitary tumors very rarely spread to other parts of the body, the macro size of Tanja’s tumor raised immediate concerns among doctors.

About one in five Australians (10-20 percent) have a pituitary tumor, most of which are small. But this is not the case with Tanja.

Cushing’s disease makes removing the tumor complicated because it makes the cells sticky and increases the chance of recurrence.

“As devastating as it was to be diagnosed, it was also a relief to have an explanation,” she said (pictured in Uganda)

“As devastating as it was to be diagnosed, it was also a relief to have an explanation,” she said.

‘Since then I haven’t had a moment to myself to sit with my feelings – not a day or even an hour – I have been constantly busy with appointments and meetings.

‘I haven’t had time to process the diagnosis and I am now more stressed than ever before dealing with everything, which only increases cortisol levels, making Cushing’s disease and the tumor worse.

‘I only sleep one to two hours a night, I have lost most of my hair and my vision problems have become worse.’

Tanja also described Australia’s healthcare system as ‘broken’ because she believes everyone should have the right to integrated healthcare.

She also gets by on a modest $26,600 scholarship from the University of Sydney, where she also teaches, to supplement her income.

After just five days, 360 donations have been made and more than $36,000 has been raised to cover half of the costs.

“It was overwhelmingly heartwarming and I felt very humbled,” she said.

The surgery and hospitalization alone cost $43,590.

Any additional money raised will be donated to the Pituitary Foundation Australia to help other patients with pituitary tumors.

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