Sarah Hitchman, 43, had been struggling with headaches, jaw pain, anxiety, double vision and extreme tiredness for months
A woman who was told her anxiety and tiredness were down to perimenopause was later diagnosed with a brain tumour. Sarah Hitchman, 43, had been battling with headaches, jaw pain, anxiety, double vision and extreme tiredness for months.
Doctors initially thought her symptoms were due to Eustachian tube dysfunction – where the tube is blocked, leading to dull hearing – or the effects of perimenopause.
However, the special educational needs coordinator was later informed she had a 5cm meningioma – a type of brain tumour – after suffering a seizure while on a family visit in Ireland earlier this year.
Sarah, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, said: “I honestly thought I was experiencing anxiety from perimenopause, even the dentist thought I was just grinding my teeth when I had jaw pain. I had no idea it was something so serious. I left home for Easter and returned to someone else’s horror story.”
Sarah flew to Ireland with her husband Brian on April 15, 2025, to visit her brother, Michael, before suffering a tonic-clonic seizure – where you lose consciousness, your muscles stiffen and your body jerks and shakes.
She said: “My husband, Brian, and I were only 20 minutes away from my brother Michael’s house when I suddenly started to feel sick. I thought it was travel sickness, until my mouth locked open, my chin started shaking and I heard a loud banging in my ears. Then I blacked out.”
She was swiftly taken to Bantry General Hospital in Cork, where a CT scan revealed a large mass on her brain.
Instead of starting treatment abroad, she was advised against flying and made the journey back home by car. Once back in Blighty, Sarah was rushed to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex, where another CT scan confirmed the presence of the tumour.
She was then immediately referred to Southampton General Hospital in Hampshire for an urgent neurosurgical assessment.
Sarah recalled: “I knew it wasn’t looking good because, after my CT scan at St Richard’s Hospital, they immediately called the neurology department at Southampton General Hospital, and I was told I needed to see the surgeon the next day. That was the longest night of my life.”
The medical team informed her that surgery was the only option, but it came with severe risks – including loss of mobility, eyesight or even a stroke.
Sarah said: “I cried, I just couldn’t process what he was saying, and I was scared. It was terrifying. My mind went to the darkest places. I worried about telling people, how they’d react, and when I did share the news, it felt like people were visiting to say goodbye.”
On April 29, she underwent a life-saving brain operation at Southampton General Hospital, where surgeons successfully removed the tumour. Just two days later, Sarah was able to return home.
Recovery was a tough road for Sarah, with her eye swelling shut and the development of vertical double vision. She also grappled with the emotional fallout from the shock and trauma of her experience.
She said: “People keep telling me that I was strong and brave. But honestly, I didn’t feel that way. Everything happened so fast, I just did what I was told. I didn’t have time to be brave, I didn’t have a choice and just wanted to survive.”
Now gearing up to return to work, Sarah has managed to raise more than £820 by taking part in Brain Tumour Research’s ’88 Squats a Day Challenge’. This represents the £2,740 required to fund a day of research at one of the charity’s ‘Centres of Excellence’.
She said: “My confidence has returned and I feel proud about the amount I have raised. I am incredibly lucky. It was a horrendous time, but now I have a second chance to move forward, create a new normal, and raise awareness so others don’t face the same uncertainty I did. We need more research, more support, and more hope.”
Letty Greenfield, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Sarah’s story highlights just how easily the early signs of a brain tumour can be missed. Her strength through this traumatic journey is inspiring, and we’re incredibly grateful for her support.”