By Ben Barry
A teen’s ‘exam stress’ was actually a sign she had a brain tumor.
Katie-Jo Bartlett, 19, said she would see “colors” on her exam paper, which would make her feel sick, and developed a “squint” walk and back pain.
Despite visits to her GP her symptoms were dismissed as “exam stress” by doctors until she collapsed in the toilet and was blue-lighted to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, in Cramlington, Northumberland.
Doctors diagnosed Katie-Jo with severe hydrocephalus – an abnormal build-up of fluid in the brain – and she was rushed to Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, to drain it.
A subsequent MRI and CT scan showed that Katie-Jo had a brain tumor which was causing the leak.
Since then, Katie-Jo has had multiple surgeries to secure a shunt to relieve the pressure on the brain.
Sadly, her tumor can’t be removed, but Katie-Jo undergoes MRI scans every eight months to monitor for growth, and is suffering from fatigue as a result of her shunt.
Katie-Jo, who works in retail, from Newcastle, said: “I was in the middle of my GCSE exam, looking at my paper.
“There were colors all over the page, and I started feeling sick.
“Before that, I would notice that when I walked, I’d walk like a drunk person and lean to one side and never be able to walk straight.
“I would get awful pain in my back, but everyone thought it was GCSE stress and said I needed vitamins.”
A day after her exam, in June 2022, Katie-Jos’ mom, Stacey, 43, had a doctor’s appointment, so she went along with her.
While her mum was with the doctor, Katie-Jo went to the toilet and collapsed.
Katie-Jo said: “Nobody could get in.
“Around 25 minutes later, I came back around, and there were lots of people around us.”
Speaking of her treatment to drain the fluid which was later found, she added: “The doctors told me that if I didn’t have that surgery there and then, I wouldn’t be here.
“My mum and I were so scared, but we wanted me to be better, so I went in for it as my mum promised she would never leave my side.”
Following the brain tumor diagnosis, Katie-Jo said she was “terrified.”
“Being so young, I didn’t know what having a brain tumor meant for me.
“I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me.”
She had an operation, which confirmed that the tumor was benign, and on her prom night, she had a permanent shunt installed to relieve the pressure on the brain.
Katie-Jo said: “Due to the location, they weren’t able to remove the tumor, but they told me it was benign.
“I will live with the tumor forever.
“I have scans every eight months to monitor for any growth.
“I will forever be grateful to the doctors for fixing me and for basically saving my life.
“Although it is still there and it is going to be for the rest of my life, it’s stable.”
Shannon Winslade, head of services at The Brain Tumor Charity, said: “We’re really grateful to everyone who shares their – often heart-breaking – story to raise awareness of brain tumors.
“We know that every family deals with a brain tumor diagnosis and its aftermath in their own unique way.
“That’s why The Brain Tumor Charity offers support to anyone who needs it. It’s so important for them to know that they are not alone.
