A woman who went for a routine eye test was told she had a brain tumour the size of a grapefruit and was lucky to be alive. Melly Buckley, a town councillor from Flintshire, north-east Wales, visited Specsavers after suffering excruciating migraines. Optometrists discovered what was initially thought to be a non-life threatening tumour.
Within weeks, she was referred to Walton Community Hospital to have it removed. However, during surgery, doctors discovered the tumour was far larger than anticipated and had to stitch her head back up before operating. An eight-hour operation was eventually performed to remove the grapefruit-size growth.
Ms Buckley, 44, said she only recently saw brain scans of the tumour for the first time. 'It was really, really big,' she told the Daily Post. She was told the tumour could have been growing undetected for a decade and that had it been left another week, it would have claimed her life.
Now three months after surgery, she is on the road to recovery but experiences side effects including emotionality and short-term memory loss. 'I cry a lot more these days,' she said. 'Depression is a common side effect, which I have experienced mildly.'
Ms Buckley, who also works at Tesco, has returned to work and aims to rebuild her life. 'The only person holding you back in life is yourself,' she added.
