Mum has 3 kids despite brain tumour battle
A SCIENCE teacher told she would never have children due to a brain tumour has defied the odds to become a mum of three.
Amy Anderson was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour in 2007, after her body started to produce breast milk.
She was found to have a large tumour that needed to be operated on quickly. However, she was also told it was unlikely she would be able to have children.
The 41-year-old said: “It was very strange. My hormones were all over the place. I’d also been getting headaches and migraines but when I started lactating, I knew something really wasn’t right. When the doctors discovered I had a pituitary adenoma, they said it was so large, I would need surgery quickly, as it was pressing on the nerves behind my eyes.
“Devastatingly, I was also told that it meant it was very unlikely that I would ever have children, as the pituitary influences many processes including reproduction. I was really upset by this news; my husband, James, and I had got married the previous year and we were trying for a baby.”
However, in February 2008 she discovered she was expecting her first baby and Mrs Anderson gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Amelia, in November 2008.
Mrs Anderson, from Ashby, said: “I was due to be having surgery to remove the tumour but my pregnancy meant that the operation had to be put on hold. I was thrilled to have fallen pregnant but I had to be closely monitored throughout, with frequent scans and blood tests. Being pregnant can produce hormones that can worsen the symptoms and even cause the tumour to grow. It was an anxious time.
“My consultant was keen to get on with the surgery as soon after I gave birth as possible but I was breastfeeding and didn’t want to have to stop for the operation. When Amelia was nearly six months old, I began to wean her off breast milk in preparation for my op.”
Before her scheduled surgery, in May 2009, Mrs Anderson suddenly lost her eyesight and suffered an excruciating headache. She had to call an ambulance to take her to Queen’s Hospital Burton.
She said: “When I got to hospital, they discovered the tumour had ruptured and, on May 16, I was transferred to Royal Stoke University Hospital for emergency surgery. They removed as much of the tumour as possible, through my nasal cavity.
“It was an horrendous situation. I felt so vulnerable, not being able to see properly. On top of that, it was the first time I’d been separated from Amelia. It took a while for me to regain my sight and to recover from the surgery.”
Mrs Anderson was told that following her surgery, her pituitary functions could be lost and that the treatment would probably cause infertility. She said: “My vision mostly returned to normal, although my peripheral vision still isn’t what it used to be. It was a huge blow being told that we wouldn’t have any more children; James and I always wanted to have a big family.”
Just three months after her surgery, however, the mum was surprised and delighted to discover she was pregnant again. She said: “Having been told that I was unlikely to fall pregnant again, we were thrilled to be expecting our second child. Once again, I was closely monitored throughout but I had a healthy pregnancy and Freddie was born on April 9, 2010, without any complications.”
Over the next year her health remained stable as she faced a hectic time being mum to a baby and a toddler but her headaches returned in May 2011.
She went to hospital for a scan and the images found the tumour had regrown. Mrs Anderson said: “They didn’t deem it necessary to operate on immediately, and I was put on ‘watch and wait.’ By 2013, however, the tumour had grown to the point that it was impacting healthy brain tissue and encasing my carotid artery. I was referred back to the team in Stoke and they decided the plan of action was further surgery, followed by radiotherapy, to try to stop any further growth.”
Once again she was told the treatment was likely to affect her fertility and although she and James were very happy with the two children they had, this warning prompted the couple to consider having a third baby. Mrs Anderson said: “It was like history repeating itself when, in January 2014, I discovered I was pregnant. We couldn’t believe it, especially having been told that our chances of conception were very low. It seemed to cause panic among the consultants, as yet again my surgery had to be postponed. Matilda was born on October 13, 2014, and our family was complete.”
This second surgery, in May 2015, was a riskier procedure than the first and they managed to remove 90 per cent of the tumour. However, they could not get to all of it as her brain membranes were exposed.
She said: “Thankfully, I recovered well from surgery and, in 2016, I was told I was a candidate for gamma knife treatment at National Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Sheffield. It has a high success rate and is non-invasive, so I was really pleased to be eligible.
“What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was the horrendous experience of having a metal frame fitted to my head, in preparation for the treatment. I had to have four injections of local anaesthetic; two in my temple and two in the back of my head. It was the most painful thing I’ve ever had to endure and the pressure of the frame caused my head to feel like it was going to explode.”
After six hours of waiting with her frame secured in place, a nurse came to tell her that the results from her MRI scan revealed the tumour was too big for the gamma knife to be viable.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it. They removed my frame, which caused more pain and a lot of bleeding, then it was on to plan b: six weeks of daily radiotherapy at Royal Derby Hospital. I hated wearing the mask, as it was so claustrophobic but I knew it was necessary to ensure the radiation was accurately targeting the tumour. The plus side has been that I got to keep my mask and I now use it as a prop in lessons when I’m teaching GCSE physics.”
Since finishing her treatment, Mrs
Having been told I was unlikely to fall pregnant again, we were thrilled to be expecting our second child.
Anderson’s consultant has been told the tumour is unlikely to grow back. She continues to be monitored with annual MRI scans.
She said: “In spite of all I’ve been though, I really do feel lucky. Recently, a school mum friend of mine in her mid-30s was diagnosed with multiple brain tumours, after suffering from headaches. She was told it was terminal but started radiotherapy, to try to extend her life. She began the treatment on Monday, April 26, but, tragically, died two days later, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son.”
Motivated by this loss and her own experience, Mrs Anderson, who teaches at Ellis Guilford School in Nottingham, is joining thousands of other fundraisers around the country by taking part in Jog 26 Miles in May to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.
It can be done by jogging around a park, on a treadmill or even laps of a garden to make up a total of 26 miles by the end of the month.
Mrs Anderson said: “I enjoy running but haven’t been doing as much as I’d like in recent months. When I heard about my friend, I knew I just had to do something. I’m aiming to run two miles every other day.
“It’s going to be hard-going but I just put my music on and try to enjoy half an hour of time on my own while I’m out clocking up the miles.”
To take part in the challenge, join the Jog 26 Miles in May Facebook
Group and follow the three steps to get started.
Once registered, Brain Tumour Research will send a free gift and printed mile tracker. Those who raise £274 or more, will receive a special medal in June once they have completed the challenge.
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We were so very sorry to learn about Amy’s friend. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this terrible time.
“It’s so inspiring that Amy is fundraising for Brain Tumour Research following her own very personal experiences of the disease. We are pleased her tumour was treatable and that she has recovered well from treatment, defying the odds to start a family of her own.
“Her story reminds us, however, that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. Less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers. We cannot allow this drastic situation to continue.”
Anyone wanting to donate to Brain Tumour Research via Mrs Anderson’s fundraising page can do so by visiting www.facebook.com/ donate/753638478680463.
I got to keep my radiotherapy mask and now use it as a prop in lessons while teaching GCSE physics