French tourist’s holiday horror
A YOUNG French tourist’s headache while crossing Cook Strait turned out to be a brain tumour that required an emergency seven-hour surgery to remove.
At worst, Emilie Linares, 25, believed she had a bad case of food poisoning as she boarded a ferry in Wellington four days ago. But, a day later, doctors would be performing emergency brain surgery to save her life.
It had been the first big holiday for Linares, who joined friend Florence Cougoulat, 24, for a month-long trip throughout New Zealand.
The pair picked up a rental car in Auckland, then zigzagged south via Coromandel, Rotorua and Tongariro.
Cougoulat said they were nine days into the holiday when they boarded the ferry.
Her friend’s headaches worsened and she became progressively weaker on the sailing. ‘‘We thought it was food poisoning. We would never have thought it was a [tumour].’’
Just to be on the safe side, the women went to the Picton emergency room. After an X-ray confirmed Linares’ brain tumour, she was flown to Wellington Hospital. A few hours later, doctors began the seven-hour surgery to remove the tumour.
‘‘Emilie couldn’t really understand. She was very tired and didn’t speak English.’’
Cougoulat had to break the news to Linares’ parents in France. She also had to act as the main support person and translator at the hospital.
Cougoulat said she would not have taken Emilie to a doctor as quickly if they were home in France, but she was overcautious when holidaying.
The fact they got to a hospital quickly may have saved her friend’s life. For that reason, they were glad it happened in New Zealand.
The surgery was a success, but Linares was still waiting for results on whether the tumour was benign.
As Cougoulat talked about her friend’s surgery, Linares was beside her in a hospital bed, shuffling through her bags and making jokes.
‘‘She is good. Amazingly good,’’ Cougoulat said.
Linares’ parents have flown over from France and will take their daughter home when she is well enough.
If anything good comes from the ordeal, Cougoulat said she hoped it would raise awareness of brain tumours. ‘‘I wish more people would be aware that headaches can be very serious.’’