I’ve got Davina McCall’s brain tumour but mine is twice the size – I fear it could suddenly kill me, says single mum

Although she must wait for treatment, a mother who has the same kind of brain tumor as TV host Davina McCall worries that she might pass away unexpectedly.

When Katrina Carlin noticed a “dent” on her head in February 2022, she was informed that she had a benign brain tumor called a colloid cyst.

According to the 23-year-old from Accrington, Lancashire, the grape-sized tumor is too small to be operated on, according to medical professionals.

Before removing it, they claimed she would need to wait “five years” for it to grow.

However, according to healthcare assistant Katrina, her tumor is almost twice as large as Devina’s, who recently had a craniotomy, in which the tumor is removed by removing a portion of the skull.

When choosing a course of treatment for brain tumors, doctors consider a number of criteria.

According to Brain Tumour Research, a patient may be followed up with routine MRI scans if a colloid cyst is tiny and not causing any symptoms.

However, it could be removed if it is huge or causing symptoms.

Earlier this month, Big Brother host Davina shared a video on Instagram announcing that she had been diagnosed with the tumor after a health scan accidentally revealed the cyst.

According to the Brainstrust Charity, a benign tumor is not cancerous, however these cysts often grow slowly.

“I was told this can cause sudden death and I thought what’s my two-year-old going to do?” said Katrina, a paramedic-in-training. This is something I consider frequently.

“You just want to know when. When will something be completed, and when will death arrive?

After detecting a change in the structure of her skull and developing new migraines, Katrina was initially diagnosed with a colloid cyst in February 2022.

“I had just given birth and was constantly wearing my glasses,” Katrina remarked. I saw what appeared to be a dent in my skull at the top of my head.

When I went to the doctor to have it examined, they ordered a scan to measure my bone density.

“We discovered this incidentally, and it turns out to be a benign colloid cyst,” the report stated.

He said that the cyst was obstructing the flow of spinal fluid where it was located.

“I’d been experiencing headaches way before that but thought it was just me not drinking enough water.”

In the UK, fewer than 255 persons are diagnosed with colloid cysts annually, making them extremely uncommon.

Katrina claimed that she has experienced short-term memory loss, eyesight issues, nosebleeds, and exhaustion since receiving her diagnosis, all of which she attributes to the tumor.

Katrina claimed that in October of last year, her neurologist informed her that they would not operate on the cyst until it had gotten bigger, even though her symptoms were getting worse.

Katrina stated: “I was informed that it was too little and risky to operate on, but after seeing that Devina McCall had hers done, I saw that mine was 30 mm and hers was 14 mm.

It’s really annoying. Even if it’s small, it’s still a part of my body.

When I told my neurologist that I was experiencing headaches, nosebleeds, and exhaustion, he said he “didn’t exactly know where to go from here.”

“Being told that made me feel incredibly disregarded because I work at a hospital myself and interact with patients and physicians on a daily basis.

“I really think that nobody is paying attention to me. The removal of this tumor has never been discussed.

Why should I wait so long for its removal since the neurologist predicted that it will likely develop in five years?

Since I know it’s becoming worse over time, I’ve instructed my doctor to contact my neurologist and request an appointment. I will be referred for a head CT scan by him.

“I’m stuck and unsure of what to do. This needs to be treated with more gravity.

For comment, NHSEngland has been contacted.

“We’re unable to comment on a patient’s individual care due to patient confidentiality rules, but we would encourage Ms. Carlin to contact us so we can answer any questions or concerns she has about her care,” stated a representative for the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

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