Dad put his tiredness down to long Covid but instead it was a brain tumour growing for 10 years

A dad who put his tiredness down to long Covid discovered it was actually due to a brain tumour that had been growing for 10 years.

Grant Churnin-Ritchie, 42, from Horsforth, Leeds, was left with constant tiredness and a tingling in his right arm after a bout of Covid-19 in July 2021.

Doctors believed his symptoms were caused by long Covid, but Churnin-Ritchie was convinced it could be something more serious.

And his fears were realised when, following blood tests, an ECG and an MRI scan, it was revealed he had a pituitary tumour.

This type of tumour affects the pituitary gland – a pea-sized organ in the brain which controls growth and development.

Read more: Mum living with cancer discovered she had a brain tumour after forgetting why she was shopping

“My GP believed I had long Covid, but I really didn’t feel well in myself and felt it was something more serious," the microsoft specialist explains.

“I was so tired and I was experiencing a tingling sensation in my arms."

Further tests at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds revealed an abnormal heartbeat.

Churnin-Ritchie was also told he had adrenal insufficiency – in which the adrenal gland doesn’t make enough hormones – and hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid gland).

These are both symptoms of a pituitary tumour.

Watch: Man grew 18 inches after having a brain tumour removed

“An endocrinologist at St James’ University Hospital said it could be caused by Covid or a pituitary tumour," the dad-of-three explains.

“An MRI scan confirmed it was a brain tumour which had probably been growing for 10 years.”

After an eleven-month wait, Churnin-Ritchie had an operation to remove the tumour on January 16 2023.

“Soon after, I started to feel a lot better," he says. "Removing the tumour also allowed some of the adrenal gland to start functioning again.

“Even though I now have to take medication, I can lead a normal life."

Read more: Woman who put her seizures down to stress shocked to discover she had a 6cm brain tumour

But despite the tumour being removed, Churnin-Ritchie says doctors have told him there's a 20% chance of it growing back.

"I have an MRI scan in July so I should know more then," he explains.

In the meantime Churnin-Ritchie has been busy raising £2.5k for Brain Tumour Research after running the Leeds Half Marathon on May 14 with his wife, Hannah, 40.

As well as fundraising, Churnin-Ritchie hopes to help raise awareness of brain tumours.

"I want to give something back, and this was my way of saying thank you to the medical teams and Brain Tumour Research for what they do for people with this disease,” he adds.

Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re really grateful to Grant for taking on the Leeds Half Marathon.

"It is only with the support of people like him that we are able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like him who are forced to fight this awful disease.”

Read more: New mum’s 'excruciating migraines' turned out to be a fast-growing brain tumour

Symptoms of a brain tumour

The symptoms of a brain tumour will depend on which part of the brain is affected, according to Brain Tumour Research.

The most common symptoms are caused by an increase in pressure in the skull prompted by the growth of a tumour in the brain.

Other likely symptoms, which may initially come and go, can include one or more of the following:

• Headaches

• Eye and vision-related problems (such as squinting and double-vision)

• Continuing nausea, vomiting

• Extreme or sudden drowsiness

• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or hearing loss

• Unexplained twitches of the face or limbs

• Seizures (fits or faints)

• Appearing to be lost in a deep daydream for a short while

• Confusion

• Loss of balance

• Numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, especially if progressive and leading to paralysis

• Numbness or weakness in a part of the face, so that the muscles drop slightly

• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body, resulting in stumbling or lack of co-ordination

• Changes in personality or behaviour

• Impaired memory or mental ability, which may be very subtle to begin with

• Changes in senses, including smell

• Problems with speech, writing or drawing

• Loss of concentration or difficulty in concentrating

• Changes in sleep patterns

Additional reporting SWNS.