A woman was diagnosed with four deadly brain tumours after suffering pins and needles — which she put down to her physically demanding job.
Julie Swallow, 56, from Cambridgeshire, began suffering the irritating sensation in her right leg in 2021, and assumed she’d trapped a nerve from standing on her feet all day.
One morning, when out walking her dog, the tingles became so intense she struggled to move her legs.
‘I genuinely thought that going to A&E was ridiculous, but my friend said I should call the doctor,’ said Ms Swallow, a dog hydrotherapist.
An advisor at the NHS emergency service 111 was alarmed by her symptom and told her to go straight to her local A&E at Kings Lynn Hospital.
Subsequent scans revealed two inoperable brain tumours in the middle of her brain.
‘After finishing the scans, I was taken to the waiting room, and a nurse told me that they’re keeping me there.
‘A doctor told me that I probably have got about three weeks to live, and to tell my husband and family.’
Julie Swallows thought she was simply suffering from symptoms of being physically exhausted when pins and needles struck. But it was actually the little-known sign of a deadly brain tumour.
Ms Swallow had recently survived breast cancer, and doctors told her the tumours in her brain were metastatic — meaning they’d likely spread from somewhere else in her body, possibly the breast.
Devastatingly, doctors told her chemotherapy would not work due to the type of tumour.
Instead, she was prescribed a treatment of monthly drug injections to keep the growths under control, with regular monitorig via CT and MRI scans.
A little while later, a third tumour was discovered, which doctors blasted with radiotherapy.
And in March 2024, a fourth tumour was discovered.
Doctors immediately performed surgery to remove it, leaving Ms Swallow with debilitating complications.
‘When I came round from [the operation], I couldn’t walk very well, and I have really struggled with my mobility since then.’
Despite the challenges, she remains positive and appreciates the little moments in life.
The 56 year-old worked as a canine hydrotherapist, which involves coaching dogs through water activities to help heal injuries.
Doctors initially gave her three weeks to live, but five years later Ms Swallows is still alive and ‘still going strong’.
‘Because I have lived longer than anticipated, and I am still here going strong, I appreciate the little days,’ she said.
‘I take more time than most people to appreciate the little stuff, a text message from a friend, someone visiting, or the blossom on the trees.
‘There is something good in every day, and I just look for that.
‘I have two choices, I can get busy living, or I can get busy dying — I am going to be busy no matter what.
‘It will catch up with me eventually, but in the meantime, I take every day as it comes.’
Cameron Miller, Director of External Affairs and Strategy at The Brain Tumour Charity, said the warning signs of the deadly cancer vary by age group, tumour type and where in the brain a tumour is located.
‘But we would encourage anyone who is worried about a symptom that’s unusual for them, particularly if it is persistent or if they experience a combination of symptoms, to speak to their doctor,’ he said.
‘Anyone concerned can also speak to our Support Team on 0808 800 0004 or find out more about the possible signs and symptoms at bettersafethantumour.com.’