Netflix star diagnosed with brain tumour after thinking he was ‘dehydrated’

In an effort to raise awareness of cancer, actor Craig Russell has made light of the symptoms that led to his diagnosis of a brain tumor. The 47-year-old, who played Marc Antony in Netflix’s African Queens: Cleopatra, said it all started with ‘intense headaches’, and a ‘shooting pain’ across the back of his skull two years ago.

He’d suffered from migraines for several years, but this felt different, and was accompanied by a strange ‘whooshing’ sound. Speaking with the Telegraph, the father-of-two explained: “I was increasingly forgetful, and becoming more and more clumsy.

“[My wife] Kate was concerned that it could be early onset dementia, though I’m only 47. ” With Christmas just around the corner, Craig and Kate initially tried to continue life as usual, but his symptoms only continued.

Beyond headaches, Craig also made several frighteningly forgetful mistakes. He once believed he was trapped inside their spare room and unsure of where to leave, but he later remembered the door was directly in his face.

He frequently lost himself while traveling, whether it was by making incorrect turns at roundabouts or trying to remember how to return to his room. When confiding in friends, he was told it might be ‘something viral’, anxiety-related or even dehydration.

So, he upped the breathing techniques, cold showers and water consumption in an attempt to tackle this. Although Craig eventually confided in his wife, who advised him to see a doctor, this seemed to work for a while.

In a previous conversation with Brain Tumour Research, he said, “I told the GP everything that had been happening, suggesting I might have had anxiety or perhaps a virus.” She observed that I was going blind in my left eye when she examined my vision.

I was in my mid-forties when I realized that this was a sign of aging, so I was referred for a CT scan because I had never needed glasses. In February of this year, Craig was finally given a low-grade meningioma diagnosis.

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According to reports, doctors informed Craig that his tumor had probably spread over “15 years” and was now causing the skull to protrude. Thankfully, this was soon removed in a six-and-a-half-hour surgery, but even 18 months on he is still recovering from the ordeal.

He’s still grappling with migraines, brain fog and, just recently, he collapsed after bumping his head. But, he told the Telegraph: “I’m amazed by my own recovery, and especially by the fact that my eyesight is now perfect again. “

According to the NHS, brain tumor symptoms frequently depend on the location of the affected area. However, common symptoms include:

• Persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness
• Seizures (fits)
• Vision or speech problems
• On the other side of the body, progressive weakness or paralysis.
• Headaches
• Mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality

See a doctor if you experience these symptoms, especially if the headache feels different from what you typically get, or if the headaches are getting worse, according to the advice.

“You may not have a brain tumour, but these types of symptoms should be checked. If the GP is unable to rule out a more probable cause of your symptoms, they may refer you to a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain and nervous system for further evaluation and testing, such as a brain scan. “

Source: Mirror