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Leighton woman receives good news
Nicole's tumour has not returned
Nearly two years after being diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour, a mum-of-two has put her world back on track having just received some very good news.
Nicole Witts had a meningioma tumour removed from the left side of her brain in March 2008. The tumour could have killed her and was only discovered after she suffered a convulsion and turned blue at the family's home in Lovent Drive.
But the good news for Nicole, her husband Gary, and their two little girls, Megan, six, and Ellen, two, is that the tumour has not returned after extensive treatment.
Nicole does have some hurdles to combat though. She has been left with epilepsy, particularly nocturnal seizures which are now, hopefully, being controlled with medication.
She also has occasional body jerks and hallucinations made worse by stress. She also suffers memory loss and confusion especially if she is very tired.
Driving instructor Gary helps to cook the meals and assists with bathing the children, as Nicole says she cannot have complete responsibility.
Nicole and Gary decided to turn the harrowing experience into a more positive one by pledging to raise money for Brain Tumour Action, which specialises in educating GPs to diagnose brain tumours.
In July, Gary and four friends took part in the Three Peaks Challenge and raised 3,360 towards the cause.
Nicole was also full of praise for the LBO's sympathetic past reporting of her plight, which saw Brain Tumour Action's work shoot into the spotlight.
She said: "It is all major positive stuff. Brain Tumour Action was very pleased with the LBO's original story about my experience. A whole newsletter highlighted my press coverage and told others how to achieve it."
Nicole keeps herself busy, particularly her brain, by using a laptop computer Gary bought her.
She is on Facebook and has started up her own brain tumour awareness page. She hopes to get a 'grey ribbon appeal' for the brain tumour cause off the ground with all proceeds going to the charity.
"I can't get a local celebrity to sign up though," she said.
A job for Nicole is still a way off because of her epilepsy, however, two playgroups in town have given her another route into possible employment when the time is right.
Hockliffe Street Baptist Church Playgroup and All Saints playgroup have both said Nicole can help out as a volunteer at their sessions.
And it's something which Nicole has embraced. She said: "I cannot thank them enough, it is brilliant."
The mum also has plenty of things she would like to do, as the brain tumour has changed her whole outlook on life.
She said: "I'd like to do a balloon flight and a parachute jump and just experience things I may not have done if they hadn't found the tumour.
"They'd said I would be dead by August. I know I'm lucky to be here and life is too short – I want to do things."
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
