07 May 2024 , 16:04
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Antiques Roadshow favourite Theo Burrell spoke about her anxiety at important scan results after returning to hospital today as she shared an update on her battle with a brain tumour.
Theo has brought everyone up to date on her condition havin been told she only had months to live almost two years ago. The 36-year-old antiques expert had been diagnosed in 2022 with an aggressive grade 4 glioblastoma - a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spine.
The BBC star, who has a young son named Jonah, was devastated by the prognosis and feared the cancerous cells could spread. She has undergone treatments to shrink the size of the cancer growth to ten percent of its official size - but she is still suffering from side effects. She explained that she endures headaches and bouts of nausea as she battles the condition.
It's nearly two years since she was told she had months to live (BBC)But that hasn't stopped her from taking on a huge awareness-raising challenge, and she hopes to raise some money too. She told her followers on Instagram: "On Saturday 25th, I'm heading to Aberdeen and abseiling down the King's Tower, all 131 feet of it! The last time I did anything similar I was 19 - not exactly yesterday! If you can help me raise some funds (all for @braintumourrsch ) I'd be very grateful - link in bio. Thank you."
She went on: "Today also marks 23 months since I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I really had no idea whether I would still be here when I was given the news that I had a brain tumour. I didn't take a life expectancy, but I know my chances of still being well (so far) with no regrowth (so far) were not particularly favourable.
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"I continue to find the mixture of emotions a rollercoaster, and little landmines of fear and upset go off without any warning at times. Behind the scenes I'm still working on tangible changes for us all and progress continues in Scotland which we could all benefit from. As I head into a scan this afternoon, and the anxiety about my upcoming results looms, I'm hanging onto my old friend hope to see me through."
Last year, Theo opened up about her diagnosis. She wrote online: "This time last year I was diagnosed with an incurable aggressive grade 4 brain tumour. Since then I've had surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to keep the cancer under control. But my friends and I are doing something positive in light of this by running a fundraising auction - with many incredible lots!"
She added: “Despite 12,000 people being diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour, survival rates have barely improved in 40 years.” The NHS warns symptoms of a brain tumour can include headaches, fits, regularly feeling sick, memory loss and visual and speech problems that get worse.
They encourage those concerned to seek medical advice as soon as possible as catching the cancer early is key to the greatest chance of treating it. The NHS advises: “It can sometimes be cured if caught early on, but a brain tumour often comes back and sometimes it isn't possible to remove it. Speak to your care team if you'd like to know what the outlook is for you, as it varies from person to person.”