Glasgow woman who battled migraines for 23 years before 4-inch tumour was found in her head

Lisa Dumbiotis was rushed into emergency surgery in September after started seeing flashing lights and losing the sense of feeling in her hands. 

Surgeons operated on the 38-year-old for 10 hours before they removed the lump, which was pushing her brain to the front of her head. 

Lisa - who suffered from the condition since she was 15 - told how she noticed something wasn't right when her medication stopped working.

She said: “The normal medication that I was taking for them wasn’t making a difference and I ended up unable to feel my hands and lost my sense of grip.

“My GP wasn’t overly concerned due to my history with them but I kept getting flashing lights and pressure in my head and I was really dizzy.

“My Dad suggested that I go to get my eyes tested so I went in to get checked out. My optician mentioned something about intracranial hypertension where I had swelling in the back of my eyeballs – it was putting pressure on them."

Lisa, from Shawlands, was rushed to the accident and emergency department at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) where medics performed CT and MRI scans. 

Images before and after Lisa's surgery

Within hours, she was told that there was a large growth inside her skull.

“The way that it was growing was actually moving my brain forward. Now that it is gone, there is actually a gap where my brain will move into again", said Lisa.

“Within three days, I was in theatre undergoing emergency surgery."

The news caused a wave of both shock and relief to Lisa and her family as she was told the tumor was non-cancerous. 

She said: "It was a worry waiting to see if the tumor was cancerous or not as my grandad passed away due to brain cancer.

“My surgeon is my complete hero and made me feel at ease through it all – he came to visit before I went into theatre and really calmed me.

“He said that it was the biggest tumor he had ever seen, so he was keen to get it out. I feel as though I owe my life to this man."

Fifteen weeks after her operation, she is urging others who suffer from migraines to "be aware" of the pain brought by the condition and get checked out if it changes or feels different. 

She said: “You know your migraines and the difference between a migraine and a general headache. When the medication stopped working and I couldn’t use my hands, I knew something was wrong.

“You need to be aware of what you feel and if it is different than usual, get it checked out. I would advise booking an appointment at the opticians for them to have a look if the pain changes or if you feel different."

In a humble effort to give back to the medics that helped her - including her surgeon Mr Canty - Lisa is doing a sponsored head shave to raise cash for the neuroscience department at the QUEH.

All funds will go towards the neurological endowment fund which helps with education and equipment purchases.

Lisa said: “About four days after my surgery, an amazing nurse came into my ward and took a look at my hair which was tied up in a bun.

“She started trying to brush through it but it was far too matted, she offered to shave parts of it and I said no – so that’s when I decided I’d be taking the whole lot off.

“I got home and managed to brush it out but it’s still something I want to go ahead with. I want to do it for the people who helped me.”

Donate to Lisa's online fundraiser HERE.