Woman had to re-learn to talk and walk after surgery to remove a walnut-sized brain tumour

A woman had to re-learn to talk and walk after surgery to remove a brain tumour. Lizzie Traylor, 23, started suffering from double vision in April 2021. Within a few weeks her eyes had turned outwards, and she was unable to walk anywhere without bumping into things. After visiting her GP and optician, Lizzie was referred to Lymington New Forest Hospital, Hampshire, for an MRI scan. The scan found a 4cm mass in her brain and she was diagnosed with a grade 2 atypical meningioma. Lizzie underwent a 14-hour operation to remove the tumour that was growing on top of the brain stem. The procedure left her unable to talk and walk. Lizzie's mum, Debbie, 44, who works in a care home, from New Milton, Hampshire, said: “Throughout her diagnosis, Lizzie has remained positive and so open in sharing her experience, raising awareness of the disease. “After the operation to remove the tumour, Lizzie couldn't speak for around two weeks. “The whole time Lizzie thought she was talking. "She could hear me when I told her that nothing was coming out when she spoke, but it didn’t sink in. "She would communicate by squeezing my hand. "We were supported by a speech and language therapist and physiotherapist, and she slowly regained mobility. "It wasn’t until Lizzie had a nosebleed that she started shouting and almost shocked herself and staff with the noise that came from her mouth." Debbie said: “In September I did the Walk of Hope to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research and Lizzie came along in her wheelchair. "She’s been fortunate in her recovery." This month, Debbie is taking part in 10,000 steps a say challenge for the charity.