When Angus Carnie collapsed in the heart of Manchester he didn’t know it was due to a tumour that had been slowly growing inside his brain.
The then 56-year-old, who now lives in Tealing, Angus, had no idea about his condition when he lost consciousness in the city’s Albert Square.
That was until he was taken to a city hospital and a neurosurgeon showed him scans of the large benign tumour.
Angus was told it had been growing since the day he was born.
“After I collapsed I was transferred to Salford Royal,” he says.
“A neurosurgeon appeared and showed me on a tablet that I had this massive brain tumour.
“She explained that the only solution was major surgery.
“She said the operation would take place the following week with a specialist team to remove all or as much of the tumour as they could.
“It turned out I had had this tumour all my life.
“It had been growing slowly inside my brain from birth – until it got to a size that there was no more room for it.
“All of this came as a huge shock.”
Following surgery Angus, who is now 63, suffered a number of health complications.
These included a collapsed lung, seizures and life-threatening sepsis.
As a result, he had to start his life over again.
But now he wants to share his story to give hope to others that recovery is possible after experiencing major trauma.
When did Angus learn he had a brain tumour?
Originally from Carnoustie, Angus had moved to Manchester for work.
He was working as a national sales manager for a waste company.
In December 2017 he had been in the city’s Albert Square when he suddenly collapsed.
Firstly he was transferred by ambulance to A&E at a general hospital before being taken to Salford Royal.
It was there that a neurosurgeon told him he had a benign brain tumour.
And that it had grown so big that surgery was needed to remove as much of it as possible.
“The surgery took 12 hours and I ended up with 600 stitches,” he explains.
“The operation went well – they were able to remove 95 per cent of the tumour. The other five per cent was in areas they didn’t want to go into.
“But I had a collapsed lung afterwards.
“Then I kept having brain seizures so they had to put me in a medically-induced coma – I was in that for a few weeks.”
Further post-operative complications
Angus also experienced third nerve palsy.
This saw one of his eyes coming out of alignment with the eyelid permanently closing.
He had to have eye surgery to fix it.
Early the following year, in 2018, Angus was transferred to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee so he could be closer to his dad who lived in Carnoustie.
But he was dealt another health blow when he developed sepsis.
“The infection quickly spread and I was put on a drip for antibiotics.
“Luckily once they got into my system they started working quickly.
“But my body was very weak from all the trauma and I was in pain.
“I also felt mentally and emotionally exhausted.
“At one point I feared I might never fully get better.”
However, Angus promised his dad he would recover.
So despite the setbacks, he was determined to stay true to his word.
Having to start life over again
Initially the simplest of tasks felt very difficult as Angus needed help just to sit up in bed.
“I was always tired and it felt like my body was fighting battles on multiple fronts,” he says.
“The seizures left me confused, the sepsis infection drained my energy and I struggled to breathe at times due to my collapsed lung.
“Moving around was crippling and I had to learn to walk again – I felt very weak.”
He couldn’t go back to his former job as he lost his driving licence due to the seizures he had after the operation.
Angus lost his independence which he found very difficult.
“My life was shattered and I knew it would mean starting life all over again.”
Angus decided to move closer to home to be near his dad as he recovered.
And through time, as he became stronger, he started looking for work locally.
“At the start of October 2018 I got a job in a fish factory in Arbroath,” he says.
“I was only there for a few weeks though because I struggled to stand all day in the cold.
“But then managed to secure a job in a call centre, in a customer services role, and I have been working there ever since.”
Being able to drive once again
Once Angus felt well enough he was able to drive again.
And he managed to obtain a temporary driving licence for two years.
He later got the all-clear from the hospital, who contacted the DVLA, so he could get his full driving licence back.
“The day I finally received my driving license was one of immense joy and relief. I bought myself a new car that same day.
“It was a crucial step in rebuilding my confidence.”
Support from friends and family
Angus has had a lot of support from friends and extended family through visits, calls and messages of encouragement.
But it was his dad, James, who probably played the most important role in his recovery.
“My mum passed away in 2010 so she didn’t know anything about the tumour,” he continues.
“I remember my dad seeing all the letters from the hospital and him asking me to promise him I would make a full recovery.
“I told him I would.
“My dad even phoned my neurosurgeon who kindly called him back.
“He then asked him if he could please look after his only son.
“The neurosurgeon told him he would and not to worry about it.
“Unfortunately my dad wasn’t there to see me recover as he passed away in 2018.
“But he would have been super proud that I kept my promise.”
Writing about his experience to help others
Today Angus takes medication and has MRI scans carried out at Salford Royal to monitor his tumour.
He also attends regular neuropsychology sessions at Ninewells Hospital to assess how well his brain is working.
“While the tumour will still continue to grow, I have been told it will not cause a problem again in my lifetime,” he says.
“My collapsed lung has been re-inflated.
“And in terms of my physical recovery, I am probably fitter now than I was before this happened.”
Earlier this year, Angus decided to write an e-book, which is free, about his recovery from his brain tumour surgery.
He hopes sharing his experience will ensure others don’t feel alone if they are healing from major trauma.
Angus also offers some practical advice which he hopes will help people with their own recoveries.
“Whether it’s an illness, surgery, a broken relationship, loss, or any other lifechanging event, recovery is a tough journey that affects both body and mind,” he says.
“I’m sharing the strategies that helped me through my darkest times to help others find their way.
“This book is my journey from rock bottom to finding strength and purpose again.”
He adds: “I hope that what I’ve learned can inspire others to find their inner strength.
“I want to show that with determination, anyone can heal and thrive, no matter what life throws their way.”
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