Davina McCall opens up about huge 14mm tumour ‘with nowhere to go’ days before brain surgery which put her in ICU
The presenter was diagnosed with a benign but very rare tumour purely by chance
DAVINA McCall opened up about her huge 14mm tumour “with nowhere to go” – days before the brain surgery which put her in ICU.
The presenter was diagnosed with a benign but very rare tumour purely by chance after being offered a scan a few months ago.
This afternoon her boyfriend Michael shared a podcast first released on Friday where Davina opened up about the tumour.
In the podcast, Davina said: “I’ve actually been going through this for a while.
“But you’ll be listening to this on the day that I’m having an operation.
“They would class a colloid cyst as being big as 10mm and mine is 14 – 20mm is enormous.
“The point with mine being 14mm is that it fills the space and it’s got nowhere to grow.”
She added: “I don’t want you to worry about me, I am good, me and Michael are rock solid.
“My kids are great, they are dealing with it brilliantly. And I’ve got really good friends around me.
“I’ve got lots of people looking out for me. Look, I am a fighter right.
“That is that. I’m going to go into this – all I know is that I’ve chosen an amazing surgeon.
“I have absolute faith in him. I’m going to give him the steering wheel, strap myself into the passenger seat, put my seat belt on and enjoy the ride.
“As they are putting me under with the anaesthetic, I’m going to set an intention and I’m going to say ‘love, love, love, all the way’.”
Posting on Instagram this afternoon, her boyfriend Michael said: “Update- Mega progress these last 24 hours.
“Massive relief to see some light breaking through. Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and Up.”
He added: “Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours.
Davina's podcast comments in full
“I’ve actually been going through this for a while but you’ll be listening to this on the day that I’m having an operation.
“I slightly put my head in the sound because they said sometimes it grows and sometimes it doesn’t.
“Somebody called me and said we’d like to call you and make an appointment with a neuro surgeon.
“He showed me my brain which blew my mind. It is right in the middle of my brain.
“Colloid cysts are very rare. They are mostly in the same place. He said I’d like you to talk to another neuro surgeon about if you need surgery.
“I went to see this other neuro surgeon and I took a doctor with me.
“They would class a colloid cyst as being big as 10mm and mine is 14 – 20mm is enormous.
“The point with mine being 14mm is that it fills the space and it’s got nowhere to grow.
“And if it’s got no where to grow it can cause water on the brain. I thought – you’re trying to say to me I should have it taken out.
“So I left and then spoke to the doctor and they said I think they’re telling you you should take it out.
“He wanted to go in through the side of my brain with a small endoscopic hole in the side of my head.
“And then I spoke to a friend of mine who had had a brain tumour herself.
“She said I know brain surgeons and this guy is amazing – why don’t you just get a second opinion from him.
“So I spoke to him on the phone with you and we loved him. He felt incredibly confident but he suggested a different route.
“It’s through the top of my head, via kind of craniotomy where they take a bit of your skull out.
“Then they go through the two halves of your brain and go through the middle with a kind of sat nav.”
Davina added: “So obviously it’s a big deal, it’s a brain operation but I’m in really good hands.
“I don’t want you to worry about me, I am good, me and Michael are rock solid, my kids are great, they are dealing with it brilliantly.
“And I’ve got really good friends around me. I’ve got lots of people looking out for me.
“I’ve taken two months off – I’m going to look at all your recommendations, read books.
“I’m going to learn to play a song that I can sing for you – brace yourself for Christmas.
“It’s going to be part of your Christmas present to Michael – and I’m ready.
“We’re recording this on Wednesday and you and I are going to go to the hospital together tomorrow at 2pm.
“I am having the operation first thing Friday morning – We are dropping this a little bit late.
“So you don’t hear about it until I’m on the operating table. The reason I didn’t talk about it earlier was because I don’t want the drama.
“I was really thinking about my kids. And it’s tough enough going through something like this on your own.
“But when you’ve got lots of people stopping you on the street and worrying about you – I’m worried, I don’t need another people’s worry – it’s intense.
“So I’m putting my phone down. No social media for a couple of weeks.”
Describing how long the operation was expected to last, Davina said: “About 3 hours, maybe less – 2 to 3 hours.”
She added: “If my short term memory is affected there are things I can do about that.
“Look I am a fighter right. That is that. I’m going to go into this – all I know is that I’ve chosen an amazing surgeon.
“I have absolute faith in him. I’m going to give him the steering wheel, strap myself into the passenger seat, put my seat belt on and enjoy the ride.
“As they are putting me under with the anaesthetic, I’m going to set an intention and I’m going to say ‘love, love, love, all the way’.”
“She is out of ICU. She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx – Michael.”
Davina had said the 14mm growth was a rare colloid cyst, with a “three in a million” chance of having one.
NHS guidelines suggest it can take six weeks for a full recovery.
It comes as experts say more people are being diagnosed with Davina’s extremely rare brain tumour type due to advances in testing.
Brain Tumour Research said the three in a million people found with a colloid cyst each year is rising thanks to MRI and CT scans.
Colloid cysts form in the embryo and go unnoticed until symptoms such as memory loss or headaches begin to show.
Continued growth can cause a build up of fluid in the brain, which can be life-threatening and requires urgent surgery.
Brain Tumour Research boss Dr Karen Noble said: “Colloid cysts are thought to be rare, with around 255 people in the UK diagnosed each year.
“Diagnosis is increasing due to widespread use of MRI and CT scans, as in Davina’s case.”
She added: “Early diagnosis is key to a positive long-term prognosis.”
Brave Davina will continue with her weekly podcast despite being in recovery from brain surgery.
The TV host, 57, launched the new show Begin Again last month and was “adamant” finding the tumour would not halt its progress.
Before undergoing the six-hour procedure to remove the growth, Davina pre-recorded an entire series of hour-long interviews to ensure the podcast could air whilst she convalesces.
Since it launched on October 9, celebrities including Ferne Cotton, Paloma Faith and Paul C Brunson have featured on Begin Again, which Davina says aims to “empower people to embrace midlife as their most transformative era yet”.
The former Big Brother host is next due on telly with The Masked Singer, which will air a Christmas special and then a full series – but was also pre-recorded in September.
Symptoms of a benign brain tumour
A benign brain tumour is a mass of cells that grows relatively slowly in the brain.
Benign means it in not cancerous.
Non-cancerous brain tumours tend to stay in one place and do not spread.
Some slow-growing tumours may not cause any symptoms at first.
When symptoms occur, it’s because the tumour is putting pressure on the brain and preventing a specific area of the brain from working properly.
As the tumour grows and increases pressure in the skull, you might experience:
- New, persistent headaches that are sometimes worse in the morning or when bending over or coughing
- Feeling sick all the time
- Drowsiness
- Vision problems, such as blurred or double vision, loss of part of your visual field and temporary vision loss
- Epileptic seizures that may affect the whole body, or you may just have a twitch in one area
See a GP if you develop any of these symptoms.
They’ll examine you and ask about your symptoms.
If they suspect you may have a tumour or are not sure what’s causing your symptoms, they may refer you to a brain and nerve specialist for further investigation.
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