Woman whose nose doubled in size actually had a tumour - for roughly 20 years

A mum plagued by health problems found out she had been living with a brain tumour for two decades - when her nose doubled in size and her feet grew.

Tracy Hampton, 47, went for an MRI after noticing the bodily changes, which she had initially put down to ageing. She was shocked to be told she had a tumour on her pituitary gland - which doctors estimated had been there for 15 to 20 years.

Tracy, from Evesham, Worcestershire, was diagnosed in 2016 and now has to take 32 different medications a day. She has had surgery and radiotherapy to reduce the 2.8cm tumour.

Mum-of-two Tracy, who owns a memorial business, said: "My nose was huge. My feet were a size nine in the end and a size seven before. My wedding ring didn’t fit – I couldn’t get it passed my knuckle.

“I was relieved [to get the diagnosis]. I realised what this was doing to my body.”

Tracy had struggled with headaches and fatigue since she was in her late teens and was diagnosed with a host of medical issues. She has irritable bowel syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, a vitamin B12 deficiency and rheumatoid arthritis.

The tumour, which doctors estimate had been growing for 15 to 20 years, was resting on her pituitary gland – a gland which regulates all you bodily functions. It explained why Tracy's features had been growing and her other health complications and symptoms.

She had a five-hour operation in March 2017 – but doctors were unable to remove it all the tumour as it was wrapped around an artery.

Tracy said: “I remember saying ‘am I going to die?’ The surgeon said ‘it’s 400 to one. I have never lost a patient and I don’t intend to today’.”

They removed half of it and Tracy was then put on radiotherapy in January 2018 to freeze the remaining mass and halt the growth. She now has MRI’s every year and has been left with adrenal insufficiency – a condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol or aldosterone.

Tracy said: “It’s life threatening. If I have a sickness bug I have to go to the hospital. My body does not produce steroid to fight the bug.

“The tumour has destroyed the pituitary gland. That’s what I live with daily.”

Tracy’s daughters Stevie, 18, and Tammy, 14, have had to witness their mother struggle with her illness. She takes 32 tablets a day and has hormone injections every day.

Her nose has gone back down and her feet have shrunk back to a size eight.

Tracy said: “The bone growth will never change. I’ll never get my wedding ring on again. But I’ve accepted it.”