Ellie Musgrove realized she couldn’t see properly when she plucked her eyebrows – her vision was impaired with black spots and double vision, so she made an appointment at Specsavers
Ellie Musgrove thought he needed glasses, but one optician realized there was something more serious (
Image: Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
A young woman who thought she needed glasses was shocked when an optician suspected a brain tumor and doctors sent her for emergency surgery – saying that if it had been a day later, she would have died.
Ellie Musgrove, 21, began to experience severe headaches and neck pain after her 21st birthday in January 2022, but she knew it was more than a hangover after celebrating with just two alcoholic drinks.
Then Ellie realized she couldn’t see properly when she plucked her eyebrows – her vision was distorted by black spots and double vision.
She called her GP and was prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection over the phone, but her symptoms did not improve, prompting her to make an appointment with an optician.
Thinking she needed glasses, Ellie visited Specsavers with her father, Mike, 54, a landlord, on March 20, before being rushed to Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester after the optician noticed swelling of her optic nerve.
Just 12 hours later, she underwent emergency brain surgery to drain excess fluid around her brain before undergoing an MRI the next day, which revealed she had a brain tumor.
Ellie Musgrove began to experience severe headaches and neck pain after her 21st birthday (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS) Eli Musgrove in hospital
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
The tumor has caused Addison’s disease – an unusual disorder that occurs when your body does not produce enough hormones.
Ellie will now have to take steroids for life to manage the condition, but she is grateful to have gone to Specsavers when she did so after doctors told her that another day without action could be fatal.
Ellie, an assistant from Manchester, said: “I knew that my headache was not a hangover, because we celebrated my birthday with a quiet family dinner outside – nothing crazy.
“I never have a headache, but they were terrible. I thought I was just sleeping funny, which hurt my neck.
“My life turned upside down, but it could have been a lot worse – I keep reminding myself of that.
“I’m glad I went to Specsavers when I did – I’m grateful to the opticians and the doctors for saving my life.”
Ellie Musgrove on her 21st birthday with her mother Diane (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
Ellie’s symptoms began just after her 21st birthday on January 5 this year, when she was experiencing severe headaches along with neck pain.
“I also had blurred and double vision, black spots, and I started hearing throbbing heartbeats,” she said.
“My headache and neck pain looked worse in the morning and evening, but they were still in the background all day.
“My personal doctor suspected that I had an ear infection and prescribed antibiotics and ibuprofen, but my symptoms did not improve.
“I decided to make an appointment to see my optician at Specsavers.”
Thinking she needed glasses, Ellie visited Specsavers with her father (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
Heaton Park Specsavers optometrist Achil Mahmoud said: “At that time, Ellie had an appointment when she could not understand her severe headaches in her head and neck and her poor eyesight.
“I noticed swelling of the optic nerves in both eyes, and that, along with Ellie’s symptoms, showed that something was seriously wrong.
“Urgent medical intervention was needed, so I immediately referred Ellie to the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester.”
After numerous scans and tests that day, Ellie was taken by ambulance to the neurology department at Salford Royal Hospital.
Ellie Musgrove with Dad Mike (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
She was diagnosed with hydrocephalus – a buildup of fluid deep in the brain – caused by a brain tumor and required emergency surgery to drain the fluid.
“I went from eye testing at 11 a.m. to emergency brain surgery by 11:30 p.m. that day,” Ellie said.
“The next day’s MRI confirmed that I had a benign brain tumor between the pineal gland and the pituitary gland, which blocked the flow of fluid around my brain.
“I was also diagnosed with Addison’s disease. The tumor affects my pituitary gland, which is a devastating blow, as I will have to take hydrocortisone steroids for the rest of my life.
“I’m slowly but surely recovering and now I will have regular MRI scans to check for the tumor.”
Eli Musgrove in Specsavers (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
She added: “Neurosurgeons believe that this is a slow-growing tumor, that only 1% of people develop, so I hope I will not need surgery to remove it soon.
“I may need additional surgery if the fluid builds up again, but at least I know what the symptoms are now.
“My life has turned upside down, but I, along with my family, will be forever grateful to Aqeel and the Specsavers team. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today, they saved my life.
Ellie Musgrove with mother Diane (
Image:
Eli Musgrove / SWNS)
“I would also like to thank the medical teams at Manchester Royal and Salford Royal Hospital – they took such good care of me and were so caring.”
Aqeel added: “Ellie’s story shows how important it is to take care of your eye health and if you have any serious concerns, see an optician.
“If Ellie ignored her symptoms and postponed her visit to the optician, the result could have been very different.
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