A mum-of-three who had a tumour the size of an orange removed from her brain has spoken of her ordeal.

Fay Wood, from Herne Bay, had ignored symptoms - such as unsteadiness and weakness in one side - for several weeks before she decided to get herself checked by a doctor.

Shortly after returning from her honeymoon, the Beach Street Morrisons checkout assistant was told the devastating news.

“I’d been experiencing really bad pressure in my head and weakness in my right hand, but never thought I was living with such a serious condition,” Fay said.

“I shrugged it off and didn’t bother with it. But when I was told the diagnosis, I sat there numb.”

Afterwards, she had to endure an eight-hour operation, which involved cutting through her skull, to have the lump removed.

Following the surgery, doctors diagnosed the tumour as a benign acoustic neuroma that they believe had been growing for about a decade.

“The worst part was the operation - falling asleep under general anaesthetic and wondering whether I would wake up,” she continued.

“They didn’t know what it was, so I went into surgery not knowing what this mass in my head was.

“It was a terrifying experience.”

But now, 18 years on, the 42-year-old is living with a number of irreversible and debilitating conditions brought on by the procedure, including deafness in one ear, weakness in her right side and tinnitus.

“I’m quite lucky because lots of people come out with facial paralysis on one side – but I don’t have that,” she continued.

“I was left with weakness in my arm, hand and leg.

“My hearing loss is also in my right side – it’s because of the nerve damage from the tumour.

“Because of my hearing loss, I find social situations and being in a crowd difficult.”

Having taken part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon earlier this month, Fay is hoping to raise awareness of the disease.

“It’s an invisible illness; many people would not realise I am ill, and that is one of the hardest parts of living with the disease,” she explained.

“Two colleagues I have worked with have had brain tumours.

“I did not know how common they are.”

Fay has raised more than £300 for the charity Brain Tumour Research so far, but is aiming to eclipse her target of £500.

• To donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/FayWood

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