A carer who thought she needed new contact lenses has told how a routine eye test saved her life, after her optician spotted a golf ball-sized brain tumour.
Konnie Rowe, from Burnham-On-Sea, booked a check-up at Specsavers after experiencing headaches and struggling to watch TV.
The 22-year-old expected to be told she needed stronger lenses – but her optician found swelling behind her right eye and advised her to speak to her GP.
Her doctor was concerned and booked her in for an emergency MRI scan, which discovered a cystic lesion – a tumour – on her brain.
Surgery removed the mass but Miss Rowe has been left partially sighted in her right eye and experiences numbness on the left side of her face.
However Konnie says remains eternally grateful for the eye test, which she had in October 2015, which she feels saved her life.
Konnie told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Getting an eye test literally saved my life. The tumour could have caused so much more damage if it had been left there.”
“I could have had more vision loss, or I could have been paralysed, or it could have caused speech difficulties.”
Specsavers Burnham-On-Sea optometrist and store director Rama Venkat carried out Konnie’s eye test. He noticed a swelling at the back of her eye and recommended she visit her GP for further tests and an MRI.
Konnie’s headaches became worse and after an emergency appointment she was sent to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. After a day of tests, including an MRI and EEG she was diagnosed with a cystic lesion on her brain.
Konnie says: “When my consultant Mr Venkat told me the news, I was with my Nan and Grandad. They were both shocked and upset, I was just worried that they would have to shave my head.”
Further tests revealed that Konnie had a brain tumour the size of a golf ball just behind her right eye. The specialists at Southmeade Hospital suspected she had the tumour for some time as her body had formed a sack around the tumour, which prevented it from attacking her brain.
Konnie adds: “I was prescribed strong steroids to prevent the tumour from growing, which caused me to gain over three stone in weight. I just couldn’t control my eating and the weight gain left me feeling depressed and anxious. I just didn’t feel myself anymore.”
The specialists at Southmead Hospital carried out a six-hour operation on 19th February to remove the tumour and just three days later Konnie was discharged.
“They expected the surgery to last at least nine hours and my family thought I was going mad when I said I was coming home at the end of the third day,” Konnie continues.
Rama Venkat at Specsavers in Burnham-On-Sea High Street told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Konnie came into the store suffering from terrible headaches, which she assumed were down to an incorrect prescription. I carried out a routine eye test but as soon as I saw the results from her visual field test I knew it was something more serious.”
“The fundus image of the back of her eye confirmed my suspicions and I advised her to seek further medical advice. There were several possibilities of what the diagnosis could be which I talked her through, including fluid on the brain and potentially a brain tumour.”
“I was delighted when Konnie came back to us. She is so happy and has a wonderful future ahead of her.”
Konnie was left feeling exhausted for several months after the surgery but gradually she went back to work and just six months later she joined her mum and her Nan to run the Race for Life.
Konnie added: “At first I didn’t feel myself, I was lost and still struggling with depression from the whole experience.”
“I joined a local brain tumour support group and visited a specialist brain tumour councillor who was amazing. She encouraged me to start a new chapter in my life and to embrace every new day.”
“I can’t thank Rama at Specsavers enough. He is so dedicated to helping people through his work and he literally saved my life in so many ways. It sounds strange but I feel thankful for having been through this experience.”
Konnie was left partially sighted in one eye from the surgery and has some numbness in her face and scalp.
However, she is now thriving in her new career as a carer and is looking forward to the future, helping others as much as others supported her through this experience.
Meanwhile, the team at Specsavers in Burnham-On-Sea supported Brain Tumour Research by raising vital funds for the charity during Wear A Hat Day last week, as pictured here.
The Burnham store joined stores nationwide to officially sponsor the charity for the first time and help raise awareness that routine eye tests can detect signs of brain tumours.
