Pembrokeshire woman who 'didn't have periods for seven years' finds out it was due to 'brain tumour'

A woman was shocked to find out that as a teenager her periods suddenly stopped due to a brain tumour.

Abbie Few from Carreg Onnen in Pembrokeshire started her menstrual cycle at the age of 13 in 2007.

Two months later her periods stopped abruptly.

But when Abbie began suffering "debilitating headaches" her GP advised her painkillers.

After a few years, she was put on contraceptive pills to induce her periods, but it didn't help.

She said: “I left it a few months before going to the GP and explained about the sudden stop of my period and told them about my headaches.

"The advice I was given was to take paracetamol for my head, and eat more to help promote regular menstruation.”

"My mum grew concerned with the amount of paracetamol I was getting through.

"She had noticed I had stopped growing and I was losing weight, raising alarm bells which prompted another GP appointment.”

In February of 2013, an ultrasound confirmed she had a womb which then resulted in an MRI scan revealing a walnut-sized mass in her brain.

After experiencing years of uncertainty Abbie said: “I was completely shocked but felt a level of relief that something had been found that could explain what was happening to my body.”

Last year in October Abbie had a 10-hour operation at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The tumour was identified as craniopharyngioma.

According to Cancer Research UK: "Craniopharyngiomas grow close to the pituitary gland. So, they can cause changes in the way that this gland works, leading to changes in hormone levels.

"The hormone change can cause symptoms such as - irregular periods, growth problems in children and diabetes.

"Other symptoms of craniopharyngiomas include loss of eyesight, headaches and a build up of pressure in and around the brain, which can cause sickness."

After Abbie was put on medication, her periods restarted for the first time in seven years.

However, in 2016 her tumour soon regrew.

Abbie became the first person from Wales to receive proton beam therapy treatment in America.

She said: “I fit the criteria with my age and brain tumour type and for only the second time in my life went on a plane. I received 30 rounds of proton therapy. This saved my life.

“Throughout my diagnosis I have had to deal with not only physical and mentalchallenges, but I’ve also had to contend with the financial side of things.

"My family and the local community were incredible at helping to support my travel and living costs throughout my treatment.

“Brain tumours need to be taken more seriously which comes down to a lack of funding ofresearch into the disease.”

Calling the government to take some action, Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “For too long governments have put brain tumours on the ‘too difficult to think about’ pile.

"Five years after the Government announced £40 million for brain cancer research, less than £11 million has been spent.

Patients and families continue to be let down by a funding system that is built in silos and not fit for purpose."

Now, Abbie is campaigning with the charity Brain Tumour Research to help reach100,000 signatures on its petition to increase research funding.

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