GP Annabelle Holloway, 61, woke up “very unsettled” in the middle of the night and had to be pulled out from under her own bed
A mum who woke up with a stiff arm was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night before being diagnosed with a debilitating condition.
GP Annabelle Holloway, 61, woke one night in July 2024 with pain and stiffness in her arm. She had never experienced it before. The next thing she remembers is finding herself lying down on the floor and calling for 63-year-old husband Richard.
Annabelle felt “very unsettled” when she came around and realised she’d had a fit. She said: “We don’t know how long I was fitting for. Richard found me under my bed.
“He pulled me from under the bed and tried to bring me round.”
Annabelle, from Barnstaple, Devon, was taken to hospital, where she underwent blood tests and an MRI scan.
Due to her own long experience as a doctor, Annabelle had already recognised her frightening symptoms as a possible brain tumour.
The test results came back, and doctors told her she has a benign meningioma – a non-cancerous tumour in her brain.
In September 2024, she underwent an operation at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, to have most of the tumour removed.
Annabelle, a semi-retired GP, said: “This whole experience has made my children realise how I am the “queen pin” of the family in so many ways – supporting them and my husband practically, emotionally and financially.
“And it’s made me realise I need to take better care of myself – physically, mentally and emotionally.
“One of my passions is my family. They’ve loved me and they’ve been there for me.
“After the fit, I was very irritable, argumentative, and couldn’t sleep, but they’ve calmed me down, they’ve reassured me.
“I think it just makes you realise how family is so important, love and friends, and everyone pulling together as a team.”
After the consultant came back with the results and told Annabelle that she had a benign meningioma, she said it came as a “huge relief” to the family.
Annabelle’s son, Matt, 20, added: “For me, it was the physicality of it – having it in the brain, having this foreign entity in my mum.
“It was difficult to come to terms with. I was scared of losing my mum, not in a physical sense, but in a personality sense.”
Surgeons were able to remove most of the tumour, but Annabelle will have to undergo yearly scans to monitor for any regrowth.
Annabelle said: “They removed virtually all of the tumour, it was very near to a vein going through my head.
“It is a very slow-growing tumour, so if it does grow, it will grow very slowly.
“They will do yearly scans on me for the next few years, and then I will have a scan every other year.
“The post-operation scan looked like it had all gone, which is super reassuring.”
Cameron Miller, director of external affairs and strategy at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “It’s so important that we see increased awareness of the signs and symptoms of brain tumours to ensure anyone affected can get the diagnosis, treatment and support they need at the earliest opportunity.
“The warning signs vary by age group, tumour type and where in the brain a tumour is located. But we would encourage anyone who is worried about a symptom that’s unusual for them, particularly if it is persistent or if they experience a combination of symptoms, to speak to their doctor.
“Anyone concerned can also speak to our Support Team on 0808 800 0004 or find out more about the possible signs and symptoms at bettersafethantumour.com/”
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