Elaine Lee-Tubby said she went for the MRI to investigate severe headaches following a 2017 car accident, which revealed a tumor had been growing behind her eye. (Caters News Agency)
A 47-year-old mom who went to the hospital for severe headaches following a 2017 car accident said the behind-the-wheel trauma wound up saving her life after an MRI revealed a brain tumor. Elaine Lee-Tubby, of Buckfastleigh, England, is now being monitored for the golf ball-sized mass located behind her eye, according to Caters News.
The tumor was reportedly classified as low-grade meningioma and determined to be benign. Meningiomas account for about a third of all primary brain tumors and are most often found in patients between the ages of 40 and 70, according to Mount Sinai. These tumors are often benign and are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. If left untreated, however, it can continue to grow and cause nausea, loss of neurological function, seizures, numbness, hearing or vision issues, muscle weakness and other health problems.
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Lee-Tubby, whose father reportedly died from a brain tumor several years ago, and her doctors chose to monitor the tumor’s growth for now rather than opt for surgery.
“Going for the ‘watch and wait’ option it meant I could continue with my life, with the other options in place if needed in the future,” she told the news agency.
Lee-Tubby said she was stunned by the diagnosis, but quickly realized how lucky she was to catch the tumor before developing other symptoms. She has since married her long-term partner in a “magical” ceremony and organized a meet up for other brain tumor survivors. Her family has also been fundraising for brain tumor research.
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“It can be difficult to live with but I am doing things most people reserve for retirement and enjoy life to the full,” she told Caters News.