My GP blamed ‘funny episodes’ on panic attacks and gave me anxiety meds – my mum spotted it was cancer

A young woman’s “funny episodes” were first written off by physicians as panic attacks, but her mother recognized the signs as cancer, and now she has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor.

After experiencing odd feelings and visual abnormalities, which her doctor attributed to anxiety, 27-year-old Jessie-Mae Lambert went to see her general practitioner.

A Grade 2 astrocytoma brain tumor was only found after her mother identified the “episodes” as seizures and demanded that she be sent to the hospital.

At Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, she subsequently had a six-hour operation to remove as much of the tumor as possible.

However, only 40% of the tumor, which is 4 cm by 3 cm, could be removed because it rests on top of arteries.

Since then, the marketing manager has received daily radiation treatments for six weeks, and she will continue to be closely watched for the remainder of her life.

Now, Jessie from Nottingham is encouraging anyone with health issues to push for appointments, get a second opinion, and trust their bodies.

“I started having episodes where I just felt a little out of it in October of last year, but the doctor said they were panic attacks and prescribed anxiety medication,” she added.

“My mother didn’t realize it was a seizure until it happened in front of her, at which point she took me back to the doctor.

Unbelievably, despite the fact that I had only ever explained the symptoms to him, he suggested that I needed to decide if they were seizures or panic attacks.

“I ultimately received a hospital referral and was informed that I required an EEG and an MRI.I’m growing increasingly worried after being placed on a waiting list.

“I was on good terms with every employee and was calling every day to try to get a cancellation.

However, I had a last-minute appointment in April, and the MRI showed the tumor.

I can’t describe how I felt when my oncologist showed me the scan; I was overcome with complete panic.

“I had to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is fortunate, even if it was horrifying to witness my mother in such distress.

Experts consented to remove a portion of the brain tumor, but they cautioned her about the hazards of the procedure.

On the operating table, Jessie, who works for Alphageek Digital in Derby, was informed that she might suffer a stroke and wake up unable to speak or move.

Despite the fact that the operation went well and Jessie was discharged the next day, she later had an infection and required IV antibiotics for a week.

She continued, “I wasn’t as scared as you might think right before the operation; in fact, I was just relieved to be going to the theater at last because getting diagnosed had been such a struggle.”

I was so relieved to be able to communicate and wiggle my toes when I asked whether I could still walk when I woke up.

“But I had to have six weeks of radiation treatment at Nottingham City Hospital since so much of the tumor was still there.

I was not permitted to drive, and the daily commute took an hour.

Some of my friends even took time off work to take me, and my mother has been nothing short of wonderful.

It was crucial to try to eliminate some of the grade three cells that appeared on the scan, but the radiotherapy wasn’t pleasant and has caused a recurrence of my epilepsy, which I had been warned would occur.

HELPING HAND

In an effort to increase awareness of the symptoms and offer support to anyone experiencing similar circumstances, Jessie has chronicled each stage of her treatment on TikTok.

Six young women have reached out to her after having seizures or being diagnosed with comparable conditions.

Many girls have gotten in touch with me, and they all seem to be struggling to be taken seriously,” Jessie continued.

“They all seem to think that no one is paying attention, which is exactly how I felt.

I am sharing my tale in public for this reason. Because individuals must be obnoxious, call their doctors daily, and persistently want an appointment.

“You must push and push and have faith in your body. Don’t accept no as an answer.

I consider myself fortunate that my tumor was pressing on the epilepsy-causing factor, but things could have become much worse in the years that followed.

After completing her radiation therapy, Jessie hopes to resume work one day a week. She is also organizing a trip to Italy to support a marathon runner running in her honor.

MARATHON RUNNER

Derby native Phoebe Collier, who discovered Jessie’s predicament through a common friend, has raised $1,300 for Brain Tumour Research by running three marathons in three different locations over the course of six weeks.

She has already finished the challenge in Portugal and the Netherlands, and she will soon run a marathon in Italy with Jessie supporting her.

I’ve never seen Phoebe in person, but I’m amazed that she has been running in my name, Jessie continued.

Brain tumors are terribly underfunded, accounting for less than 3% of total UK cancer research funding, even though thousands of people are diagnosed with them each year.

I’m eager to go support her and get back to work.

“My Alphageek supervisors have been incredibly helpful and have made me feel like a member of their family. They have simply been stunning, and for that I am so grateful.

When I announced that I was returning to work, my oncologist looked like he was about to have a heart attack, but I miss it and I just want things to get back to normal.

Jessie is aware that there is no cure for her and that she will be under observation for the remainder of her life.

For the time being, Jessie will require a scan every three months to check on the growth or development of the tumor.

The idea that I will live my entire life anticipating good or bad news is quite unsettling, she continued.

However, I don’t want to be defeated by it. I’ve conquered brain surgery, the illness, and radiation therapy, and I’m resolved to keep going.