Living With an Anaplastic Astrocytoma

Jenny is 54 and lives in Devon. She was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma (Grade 3) in 2021.Her first symptom seemed small — while having lunch with her parents, the spoon suddenly felt strange in her mouth. She thought she might have had a stroke. When she visited the GP, she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy and given steroids.But things didn’t improve.Jenny became increasingly exhausted. Her memory worsened, she felt confused, and she struggled to walk. By the time she finished work each day as a podiatrist, she was so tired she had to slide out of the car when she got home.Her patients began to notice something wasn’t right.Eventually, Jenny returned to the GP with her mum. She could barely walk down the corridor. After neurological tests, the doctor immediately referred her to hospital.A scan revealed a lesion on her brain.Over the May bank holiday weekend in 2021, Jenny deteriorated rapidly and required emergency brain surgery. Surgeons first removed a cyst and then discovered a tumour beneath it. Weeks later she returned for a second operation to remove as much of the tumour as possible.In this episode, Jenny shares:• The early symptoms that were mistaken for Bell’s palsy• Severe fatigue, confusion and struggling to walk• The moment doctors found a lesion on her brain• Emergency surgery during a bank holiday weekend• Being diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3• Hearing a prognosis for the first time• Radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment• A second craniotomy after tumour regrowth• Managing seizures and ongoing monitoring• A complex surgery to repair an infected cranioplasty site• Living with fatigue and learning to pace herself• Finding support through meditation, hypnotherapy and charities• Turning creativity into fundraising for brain tumour charitiesJenny now focuses on staying positive, walking daily, caring for her rescue dog, and raising money for brain tumour charities by selling handmade cards.⚠️ This episode discusses brain tumour diagnosis, emergency surgery, seizures and cancer treatment.