A brave young woman from Grimsby has shared valuable life lessons she learned after being diagnosed with a spinal tumor aged just 17. Darcie Bunyan, now 18, discovered the importance of not stressing over things beyond her control and appreciating the moments of life after her harrowing experience.
Darcie initially visited her GP due to pain in her legs and back and underwent physiotherapy, but her symptoms worsened to the point where she was struggling to walk. In September last year, her pain became so severe that she attended A&E at Grimsby Hospital, where doctors discovered a mass on her spine. She was then taken by ambulance to Hull Hospital.
The next day, an MRI revealed a tumor in Darcie’s spine, just millimeters from her spinal cord. This led her to make an important and daunting decision. Speaking to Grimsby Live, she said: “We were in shock, it was just horrible and we all cried. I’m also very active, I ride horses and run, and I was in the middle of my A-Levels. I had to stop everything practically overnight.”
Darcie was faced with three options: let the tumor get worse, remove it with potentially irreversible damage, or remove it and make a full recovery. Due to his age, a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons in Leeds had to discuss his case. After two days in hospital for scans and consultations, Darcie went home for a week while the surgery was planned, according to reports. Yahoo News UK.
The operation was expected to last four to five hours, but doctors discovered the tumor was enclosed and crossed by the nerves that control the bladder, intestines and legs. The surgery ended up lasting eight hours. “When I woke up, I didn’t even know if I would be able to walk again,” Darcie said. “But the first thing I did was move my toes and I was able to do it, so I was relieved.”
His recovery was challenging and involved a week in hospital and intensive care from his mother. In January, Darcie returned to college part-time. A recent follow-up scan showed that surgeons successfully removed the entire tumor. Doctors encouraged Darcie to “go and live her life.”
Reflecting on her experience, Darcie said: “It has brought us closer together as a family. I have learned not to worry about things that are out of my control and that life is short and you shouldn’t stress over small things. I never thought it would happen to me; You see it on TV, but I never thought it would happen to me. Therefore, I would recommend not postponing a visit to the doctor; “I put it off for a long time and the doctors are lucky they caught it when they did.”
