MUM’S ‘WORK STRESS’ WAS BRAIN TUMOUR
RACHAEL CARTER had been feeling tired, forgetful and suffering headaches, but thought it was down to her stressful job.
But the 46-year-old mum of two ended up being placed in an induced coma after being rushed to the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport following a seizure in June 2019, shortly after coming home from a holiday to Tunisia.
“My job involved a lot of driving and being away from home. It was a busy, stressful role, so when I first started suffering with fatigue and headaches in 2019, I thought it was work-related,” said Rachael, from Newport.
“I was also becoming forgetful and was struggling to sleep but it wasn’t until June that year that I realised something much more serious was going on.”
Doctors found a “shadow” at the front of her brain and she was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. She was then diagnosed with a grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma.
“I was told it may have been growing for anywhere between five and eight years,” she said.
Rachael, who is mum to two children aged 12 and 11, had surgery to debulk the tumour on September 20, 2019, before suffering two devastating family tragedies.
“It was an awful period, as my dad was ill at the time of my diagnosis and he passed away on September 9, just days before my craniotomy. His funeral was just a week after my brain surgery. It was horrendous.
“On top of that, explaining everything to my children was so hard. I was made aware from the outset that my prognosis isn’t great; it averages at between two and five years.
“It’s taken a while for me to be able to talk openly about my illness, but I’m learning to live with it and to try and make the most of the time I have.”
Someone close to Rachael who was also battling a brain tumour then lost his life. She said: “Tragically, I lost a good family friend to the disease in 2015. Anthony Hard was just 36 when he died, after battling an oligoastrocytoma brain tumour for four years. He was such a wonderful man, whose smile lit up the room.
“Anthony was also from Newport. He was a very fit and otherwise healthy guy, who served as an aircraft engineer in the RAF. He left behind his wife Nahella and their two beautiful children. The disease is so cruel and indiscriminate.”
The majority of Rachael’s brain tumour has been removed, but her surgeon said it was likely to grow back.
Following surgery, she was treated at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff with 31 sessions of daily radiotherapy and, at the beginning of 2020, she began a seven-month course of chemotherapy.
Rachael said: “The radiotherapy made me really poorly. Christmas 2019 was a write-off.
“I take anti-epilepsy medication, which has fortunately prevented me from having any more seizures.
“One of the worst things for me has been giving up work.
“Physically and mentally, I’m just not able to do the job I was doing before.
“Thankfully, the company has been brilliant and I am still employed by them. I’m really grateful for their support.”
Rachael is now taking part in a fundraiser for Brain Tumour research along with her friend Michelle Huckle, a fitness instructor from Afon Village.
Rachael said: “I met Michelle 10 years ago when I was doing one of her Zumba classes. When she approached me about fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, I was delighted to get involved.
“I’m aiming to complete 10,000 steps a day, which will be a challenge, but hopefully achievable, as I’m trying to build up my fitness again after treatment.”
Rachael added: “Apart from walking, exercise has fallen by the wayside since I was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
“I’ve been home-schooling our two children on and off since March 2020, all while being on cancer treatment and having to shield, as I was classified as vulnerable. It’s been tough, and I’ve felt cooped up much of the time. Luckily, I’ve got great support from friends and family and I’ve had my first dose of the Covid vaccine, which is a relief.
“Taking on this challenge will provide me with some much-needed focus and it’s something really positive to get stuck into, all while raising money for this hugely-important cause.”
Michelle’s 10-day step challenge has 169 participants signed up and between them they’ve already raised £2,450.
Participants are asked to make a £10 donation, but they’re not required to collect sponsorship, although donations from friends and family are welcomed to help boost the funds.
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments. The charity is calling for a national annual spend of £35m to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia, and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.
To donate to Brain Tumour Research through the Brain Brigade, visit www. justgiving.com/team/Brainbrig