Kirsty Gallacher opens up about her health struggles, revealing the signs of her ear tumour and why she had opted to skip surgery
Kirsty Gallacher has shared the first signs of her benign ear tumour and explained why she refused surgery.
The 49-year-old presenter bravely shared the moment when she first realised something was wrong with her health. While preparing for GB News rehearsals, she noticed something wasn’t right with her hearing. She had to then stepped down from her role on the news channel in December 2021, following the health scare.
She emotionally admitted: “I was doing GB rehearsals and I had my earpiece, but I couldn’t hear. I went to see a doctor, who said it was an emergency as it could be a brain tumour. After struggling with her hearing during rehearsals, she decided to see a doctor, which led to a series of tests. “I had to have an MRI, and doctors discovered I had an acoustic neuroma [a tumour in the inner ear canal]. We have to monitor it as I don’t want them to operate on it as it’s so close to the brain,” the mum-of-two continued telling The Sun.
“I have to have targeted radiotherapy for it, so I’m having to think about that and when I will do it.” While appearing on Loose Women back in 2022, Kirsty – who is mum to her kids Oscar, 18, and Jude, 15, also detailed her health woes, saying: “I woke up in the summer one morning and I couldn’t hear very well in my right ear.
She added: “I thought ”it will pop at some point’. It didn’t pop. I went on a plane the next week, it didn’t pop. I went to the doctor and she said ”how long has this been going on?” and I said ”two weeks”.’
Gallacher went on: “She checked and said you’re very healthy, this is an emergency. I said ”could it be a tumour?” and she said ‘listen, it probably isn’t, but you’re going to see a consultant tomorrow.'” Kirsty shared her experience with the consultant, adding: “He said ‘I’m gonna give you a steroid injection into your eardrum.’ I went back the week after, he said it was an MRI scan.’ Kirsty then shared: “They found I had a very small tumour right in the inner ear canal.”
Back in November 2021, in an emotional statement posted to her Instagram, Kirsty revealed that the early 3am starts for her show, “compounded by sleep deprivation,” had made her symptoms worse, which was why she had to step back from her role on GB News.
She penned: “During the summer I discovered I have a tumour in the inner canal of my right ear. Thankfully, it’s benign and not hugely detrimental to my normal life. However, the tumour has caused severe tinnitus which makes it very difficult to sleep.
“Sadly my 3am starts at GB News, compounded by sleep deprivation, are exacerbating my symptoms. I’ve taken the difficult decision to take a step back from my role on the Great British Breakfast while I focus on my health.
She went on to add: “GB News has been incredibly supportive of me and I look forward to returning to the channel as soon as I can. As I adjust to managing my condition, I will carry on with my less disruptive work commitments and continue maintaining a healthy lifestyle and training so I can get back to my normal routine quickly. Kirsty x”
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