A misdiagnosis can be a dangerous thing, as one woman found out when her seizures, caused by brain cancer, were written off as simply panic attacks.
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Strange sensations and visual disturbances were beginning to become more common in Jessie-Mae Lambert's life. Curious about what was causing these problems, she went to visit her local GP. "It was in October last year that I started having 'episodes' where I just felt a bit out of it," she said "but the doctor said they were panic attacks and prescribed anxiety medication."
However, she was concerned that this was not the case. It was only when she had one of her 'episodes' in front of her mum that a proper diagnosis was found. Her mum recognised that these were not panic attacks, and were instead seizures, possibly caused by cancer.
Jessie talks about her mums keen eyed observations. "It was only when it happened in front of my mum that she realized it was a seizure and she took me back to the GP." This is, ultimately, what has saved her life.
Panic Attacks Were An Early Warning For Brain Cancer
After speaking to her GP, he gave her a very odd answer to her concerns. She was shocked at his response, "Unbelievably, he said that I needed to make up my mind whether they were panic attacks or seizures - even though I'd only ever described the symptoms to him." He was asking her to self-diagnose.
The UK healthcare system is in a very sorry state currently, with waiting lists that can go on for years. Jessie was left to deal with this as her panic attacks continued, and her brain cancer grew. "I was eventually referred to the hospital and told I needed an MRI and an EEG scan. I was put on a waiting list and getting more and more concerned." It took a number of months, and relentless calling to wait for a cancellation.
Eventually, the cancer was identified, and she was taken into surgery. However, the operation was a very dangerous one. The cancer-causing her panic attacks was sitting atop arteries in her brain. She was told that she could very well suffer a stroke on the operating table and never walk again.
But, thanks to the skill of the surgeons, they managed to remove 40% of it. She then had to return for radiotherapy. "The radiotherapy wasn't a nice experience and it has led to a return of the epilepsy, which I had been warned might happen, but it was important to try and get rid of some of the grade-three cells that showed up on the scan."
Now, she is recovering well and offering support to other women who have been experiencing panic attacks, or cancer-induced seizures.
