A nurse has told how her life was saved because of a medical scan.
Fern Cameron, 24, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after she noticed she was losing her balance and starting to get double vision during a night shift at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Her mum also saw a change in Fern’s mood and said she was more short-tempered and got wound up easily.
Fern’s GP referred her to the neurology department at Ninewells and an MRI scan revealed a mass on her brain.
She was diagnosed with an astrocytoma brain tumour and surgeons operated on her in the following days, as it was putting pressure on her brain stem.
‘Neurologist said something was wrong’
Fern said: “My balance was awful and I was really clumsy, but I ignored it.
“Then I noticed that my eyes were getting increasingly worse and I had double vision.
“I went to the opticians and they said I had nystagmus, where my eyes were moving involuntarily.
“The neurologist said that something was wrong and he booked me in for an MRI scan the next day, which revealed a mass on my brain.”
After five months off work, Fern returned to her oncology nursing role at Ninewells in April 2021.
She was given the “all-clear” in October 2021, which meant she did not need to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
I’m doing this not just for myself, but also for all people who are battling against this devastating disease.”
Fern Cameron
Fern, of Kirriemuir, is now taking on the Jog 26.2 Miles in May challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.
She said: “I’m not a runner, at all, but my sister Niamh runs a lot so she’s doing the challenge with me.
“There is such a lack of awareness about brain tumours and people don’t recognise the symptoms.
“I’m doing this not just for myself, but also for all people who are battling against this devastating disease.”
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Fern, as it’s only with the support of people like her that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients who are forced to fight this awful disease.
“Unlike many other cancers, brain tumours are indiscriminate. They can affect anyone at any time.”
Visit facebook.com/donate/737225577689265 to donate to Fern’s fundraising page.
