A man has shared his experience of noticing warning signs before receiving a devastating diagnosis and is encouraging others with similar symptoms to seek medical help.
Paul Colligan, a 51-year-old electrician from Maghull, used to regularly cycle 100 miles each week. However, during a ride in December, he began to have vision issues and started speaking in a confused manner. Paul’s wife, Karen, mentioned, “He started believing that his deceased father was cycling alongside him. His friends brought him back home, and he looked extremely unwell.”
“He couldn’t shake off this spaced-out feeling. He didn’t complain of headaches but just felt very strange,” Karen added.
Initially, Paul and Karen attributed his symptoms to stress, as Paul’s mother was unwell at that time and later passed away in January. However, on December 12, Paul, who had rarely been sick before, felt something was wrong and decided to go to the hospital.
Doctors initially suspected a stroke but after a brain scan showed no signs of it, Paul was diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a condition of sudden confusion in an otherwise alert individual that is usually not severe, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Despite the diagnosis, Paul continued to feel unwell, with a persistent unusual complexion and a spaced-out sensation. On February 11, his son’s 21st birthday, he started experiencing intense headaches. Then, at his mother’s funeral on February 23, he described feeling dizzy and disoriented while speaking. His health deteriorated, making it challenging for him to work without assistance from friends.
Subsequently, Paul suspected he might have a brain tumor, and a CT scan confirmed a large mass in his brain, identified as a glioblastoma, a grade four brain tumor.
Karen expressed disbelief and shock upon learning about the tumor, stating that they had to inform their two sons in their 20s about the news, leaving everyone stunned and numb. Paul mentioned that only a small percentage of individuals with his condition survive up to five years.
Following the cancer diagnosis, the couple had to address the practical challenges resulting from Paul’s health condition. Being self-employed, financial concerns arose as Paul could no longer work, and Karen had to focus on caring for him, leading to a temporary loss of income.
A friend of Paul’s initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support the family, which has raised over £38,000 in just a few weeks. As Paul prepares for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, his friends and the community are organizing a fundraising event in Aintree for his upcoming birthday on April 26.
Paul advises individuals experiencing similar symptoms to seek medical attention promptly, emphasizing the importance of seeking help if unusual headaches persist for more than a day or two.
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