A Northampton woman who was diagnosed with a brain tumor after failing to read a single letter during an eye test is urging people to never miss an optician’s appointment.
Gemma Hillier, 45, underwent a standard eye test in September 2023, but was shocked by her poor performance.
The teacher, who thought she had good vision, was later referred to an eye clinic for further testing and had an MRI two months later.
The scan revealed he had a grade 2 meningioma, one of the most common types of brain tumors, which is not cancerous but can be fatal if left untreated.
In February 2024Surgeons at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital removed 90 per cent of the tumor surrounding his optic nerve.
Now, they monitor it with regular scans to check for any growth.
Hillier, who lost his father Rod, 73, to glioblastoma (the deadliest type of brain tumor) in February 2018, said the disease has “rocked his world” for the past six years.
“It’s hard to believe I’m living with a brain tumor,” he said.
Gemma Hillier, 45 (pictured), went to the optician for a standard eye test in September 2023, but was shocked to discover she couldn’t read the letters in front of her. The teacher (pictured after surgery on the right) who thought she had good vision was referred to an eye clinic for further testing and in November 2023 had an MRI, which revealed she had a non-cancerous brain tumor .
‘The doctors said I could have lived with this for years. I could have had it when my dad had his.
“I’m lucky in some ways: I have a brain tumor but I can live with it.”
Hillier didn’t experience any symptoms until she went for a checkup at her local optician.
Recalling the quote, he said: ‘When I sat in the chair, I couldn’t read any of the letters. This seemed strange to me because I thought I had good vision.
“Then they did more tests on me, including a visual field test which I failed.”
After being referred to the eye clinic, Hillier said she went “back and forth” with NHS specialists, so she went privately to an ophthalmologist who referred her for an MRI.
She said: ‘I finally went to a private ophthalmologist who, after just five minutes into the appointment, noticed something wasn’t right and sent me for an MRI.
After being referred to the eye clinic, Hillier said she went back and forth to specialists, so she went privately to an ophthalmologist, who referred her for an MRI.
Hillier said it’s “crazy” to live knowing she has a brain tumor, but she considers herself lucky
‘Four days after the MRI, I received a phone call to say they had found a brain tumor.
“In a way, I felt relief, I kept thinking that I was imagining the symptoms I had, like headaches, for example, that were getting worse and worse.”
Ms Hillier was told surgery was her only option to save sight in her right eye, where the tumor was growing.
“I spent time in the same ICU my father had been in six years ago,” he said.
“Then I had many months off to recover from the surgery and regain my health and fitness.”
After surgery, he was told his tumor was a grade 2 meningioma and he would need regular follow-up scans to monitor its growth.
According to The Brain Tumor Charity, meningiomas are common, accounting for 27 percent of all diagnosed brain tumors.
While rare, they can be life-threatening if left untreated and allowed to invade and damage other parts of the brain.
Meningiomas can start anywhere in the brain and spinal cord, and symptoms depend on where the tumor is located.
Symptoms can include headaches, vision changes, hearing loss, seizures, and weakness in the arms and legs, but some meningiomas do not cause any symptoms, Cancer Research explains.
Hillier said: “My surgeon has told me that if it grows, I will need radiotherapy.”
‘The past year has been tough both physically and mentally.
But I know I’m one of the lucky ones. It could have been a lot worse, just like it was for my dad.’
The NHS recommends that adults have eye tests at least every two years. But those who notice a change in their vision should also make an appointment.
Brain tumors can be detected at routine optician appointments even before noticeable symptoms appear, explains The Brain Tumor Charity.