A WOMAN who was called mentally ill by doctors turned out to have a killer disease, which sadly took her life.
Vanessa Rudden was sectioned for schizophrenia when she started hallucinating – but her symptoms were likely caused by cancer, her sister says.
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Georgina Doherty, 46, was devastated after her sister, Vanessa, 44, tragically died in October 2018 after discovering she had a brain tumour.
When Vanessa was in her 20s, she was told she had schizophrenia after experiencing unexplained behavioural symptoms like hallucinations and paranoia.
But it wasn’t until her final year of life that a seizure led to her undergoing an MRI scan and a brain tumour – which is what is thought to be the real cause of her symptoms – was discovered.
She was told she had a grade 4 glioblastoma – a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cell sin the brain.
The tumour was the size of a golf ball, growing in her left temporal lobe undetected for over a decade.
Georgina believes the tumour may have affected her sister’s behaviour and she is now working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to advocate for better research.
The charity worker from Manchester said: “Vanessa was the life and soul of the party.
“She loved being around people, sharing her incredible talent for music, and was driven in her career.
“If only the scan had been done earlier, Vanessa might still be here.
“She even said she felt like there was a worm in her brain, but doctors dismissed it, calling her mentally ill.”
Vanessa’s symptoms worsened over the years – leading to multiple hospitalisations and her being sections under the Mental Health Act after she staged a hunger strike in protest at her treatment.
After the tumour was discovered, Vanessa had a debulking operation to remove most of it but doctors could offer little hope and told her she had just months to live.
Georgina said: “Vanessa’s strength and courage in the face of this news were remarkable.
“She immediately came to terms with the time she had left and wrote a bucket list of things she wanted to do, including arranging her funeral.
“I felt cheated that I’d be losing my sister.”
The most common symptoms of a brain tumour
More than 12,000 Brits are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year — of which around half are cancerous — with 5,300 losing their lives.
The disease is the most deadly cancer in children and adults aged under 40, according to the Brain Tumour Charity.
Brain tumours reduce life expectancies by an average of 27 years, with just 12 per cent of adults surviving five years after diagnosis.
There are two main types, with non-cancerous benign tumours growing more slowly and being less likely to return after treatment.
Cancerous malignant brain tumours can either start in the brain or spread there from elsewhere in the body and are more likely to return.
Brain tumours can cause headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting and memory problems, according to the NHS.
They can also lead to changes in personality weakness or paralysis on one side of the problem and problems with speech or vision.
The nine most common symptoms are:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Feeling sick
- Being sick
- Memory problems
- Change in personality
- Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- Vision problems
- Speech problems
If you are suffering any of these symptoms, particularly a headache that feels different from the ones you normally get, you should visit your GP.
Source: NHS
Vanessa beat the odds and lived for another 10 months with the support of her mum, Mary, who moved in to look after her.
She continued to tick off the activities on her bucket list – which included spending time with family, visiting her old university in Huddersfield, and enjoying a steak dinner.
In October 2018, she finally succumbed to her illness and died surrounded by her loved ones.
Ashley McWilliams, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Georgina’s dedication to raising awareness about Vanessa’s story and the impact of brain tumours is truly inspiring.
“These tragic events highlight the importance of raising awareness and funding research into brain tumours so that more people can receive the correct diagnosis and better treatments.”
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