A young cancer scientist thought she was suffering from a build up of ear wax but her tinnitus was actually caused by a brain tumour.
Neurosciences graduate Kaite Bourgeois, 29, was doing a post-grad in radiotherapy oncology when she developed symptoms.
She said: “At the beginning of 2018, I began to suffer from tinnitus. I had suffered from build-ups of ear wax as a child and I passed off my experience and the fact that my hearing on one side seemed to be muffled.
"A subsequent ear exam showed I had profound hearing loss on my right side.”
The scan revealed “a small growth” on a nerve in her inner ear.
Kaite of Northfield, Edinburgh, said: “I was in such shock.
"While my clinical experience meant I had good knowledge of what an acoustic neuroma was, it couldn’t have prepared me for what getting a diagnosis is like for both the patient and their loved ones.
“When most people hear ‘benign’ or ‘low grade’ they usually think everything will be OK. But this is far from the case as a low-grade tumour in the brain causes a multitude of problems and, in severe cases, can be fatal.
"The main symptoms are hearing loss, tinnitus, fatigue, vertigo, migraines and balance issues.”
One of the options for Kaite was to monitor the tumour but after 18 months, it had grown. Surgery was arranged in March but postponed because of Covid.
In the meantime, she is taking part in a 75km Walk of Hope to raise awareness of her condition.
Kaite said: “I am keen to raise awareness of brain tumours and, particularly, the lack of investment in research to find new treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
"That’s why I’ll be taking part in Walks of Hope.”
● Sponsor Kaite at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kaite-bourgeois and learn more about BTR at www.braintumourresearch.org
