Theo Burrell, an expert on antiques Roadshow, has been sharing updates on her health since 2022 when doctors discovered she had a brain tumor called glioblastoma.
Theo Burrell, an expert on the Antiques Roadshow, has discussed how devastating chemotherapy has been for her as she fights cancer. In June 2022, the 38-year-old antiques expert was found to have a grade four brain tumor.
The TV star, who has been a part of Antiques Roadshow since 2018, has shared her health issues with the BBC. Although chemotherapy has kept the disease at bay, Theo has been open to the public and has explained how difficult the side effects of the treatment have been.
She is fighting glioblastoma – a type of cancer that begins with a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord, and which can spread to other parts of the body. The BBC star has explained how treatments have left her exhausted and suffering from various pains.
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Survivor Net quotes the star stating: “The fatigue from the chemo has really flattened me over the last couple of weeks, with regular headaches rearing their ugly heads. I also had a seizure-like episode where my vision went funny, which ultimately resulted in me being checked over in the hospital.”
Theo informed supporters in September that although chemotherapy had kept the cancer at bay, she was still experiencing the side effects. A sunset with a mix of blue, pink, and amber skies was shared by her.
She added, “A few weeks ago, I received the news that my scans continue to be clear!” in an accompanying caption. Temozolomide continues to do its job despite the absence of any active cancer cells that are raising their ugly heads. With this news, I feel very fortunate to have reached this point.
“Despite the positive update, I’ve had a very difficult time starting chemotherapy on cycle 10 after a brief visual seizure. With new side effects that left me unable to sleep for days, the two combined to put me in a challenging mental and physical environment.
She continued, claiming that she had been made to reschedule her plans to go to a bakery with friends, which had made her feel uneasy. She stated, “I’ve been struggling, and even though I’m so close to finishing my treatment plan, the thought of any more chemo is making me miserable.” I’ll try cycle 11 and see how it goes.
This is a bit of a mixed message, she said at the time, of good news and moans. Good luck and stable scans are all I’m sending to all of my brain tumor friends. Right, one day at a time.
Theo joined Brain Tumour Research in 2023, and she has since done extensive fundraising and campaigning. The TV star frequently mentions political encounters and discusses injustices that have left some cancer sufferers without adequate support or medical care.
Upon her appointment as a patron in 2023, Theo said in a statement shared via the charity website: “Being told you have an aggressive brain tumour is absolutely terrifying, but I want to reassure people that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it. It’s important to me now to do what I can to give hope to other people in this situation. Being a Patron will allow me to campaign more officially, especially within Scotland, and it’s something I am honoured to be gifted with.”
The TV star, who gave details about her own diagnosis at the time, said: “It took me six months to get my diagnosis. I visited numerous doctors because I had terrible headaches, lingering illnesses, and poor vision.
No one knew what was wrong, and when I finally had a scan, I was diagnosed with brain cancer and, without surgery, had only three months to live.
We need to change that, and it’s crucial that we raise more awareness of this devastating disease to stop this happening to other families. More money must be put into research to advance treatments in the future and, in the end, to discover a cure.
People living with cancer and their loved ones can receive private support from The Macmillan Support Line. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
Source: Mirror
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