The woman thought the anorexia had returned before the doctor broke the news

A young woman who mistook her facial numbness for a symptom of anorexia has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Lauren Boon, 23, previously struggled with anorexia as a teenager and thought the numbness in her face and head were symptoms related to the eating disorder.

But when the numbness continued, she went to her GP and was referred for an MRI scan. Lauren was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma – a slow-growing brain tumor – in December 2023. She had surgery to remove it in January 2024, but may need a second surgery after her follow-up scan showed was inconclusive.

Lauren, a health and wellbeing coach from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, said: “I developed an eating disorder in 2020 when I was 19. I was under medical supervision for this and mentioned my symptoms.

“The doctor said it’s nothing they’ve ever come across. I put it down to a sign that he needed to eat something, perhaps related to his low blood pressure and low heart rate.”

Lauren overcame her eating disorder in 2023, but the numbness persisted.

She said: “I went to the GP and they said it could be a pinched nerve around my jaw or something neurological. I was sent for an MRI scan in February 2023 and was told I had a brain injury. I knew from my psychology degree when I studied a little bit about the brain, the word lesion was not good.”

Lauren had another MRI in April 2023 and was told she had a benign tumour, but at her six-month check-up in December she was told she needed surgery. Lauren had a craniotomy – a six-hour operation to remove the tumor – in January this year.

A biopsy confirmed the mass was a grade 2 astrocytoma. She now faces a potential second surgery after her follow-up scan in April was inconclusive.

She said: “Despite being in surgery for almost six hours, I feel fine apart from the fact that I sometimes suffer from fatigue. The consultant wants to avoid radiotherapy because of my age.

“She told me that what they found in my scan last month was not a new growth but could be a residual tumor. I have another scan this month to determine if I need a second operation, which this time. I will be awake because of the growth of the tumor near the motor strip in the brain.”

Lauren’s health struggles inspired her to study an MSc in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition at University College London (UCL) – graduating in May 2024. She also shares her story on TikTok @diaryoflaurenx.

She said: “My own eating disorder inspired me to want to study and work to support others who may be facing their own struggles, which is also the idea of ​​going on TikTok to talk about brain tumors . By navigating medical appointments, brain scans, results and treatment, I kept up my studies even though I came so close to giving up.

“My parents convinced me to persevere. I was so scared I was going to have a seizure after the doctor warned me that this could happen, when it came to the exams dad traveled with me to London and waited outside the room.

“I’m sharing my brain cancer journey on TikTok, including all appointments, treatment, scans and results. People were shocked to learn that I had a brain tumor and showed their support by liking and commenting on my videos.

“It means that people have shared their own experience with brain tumors. It makes the fact that one in three people know someone affected by a brain tumor so real.”

In May, just three months after brain surgery, Lauren completed ‘200k in May Your Way’ in aid of the charity Brain Tumor Research. The challenge asked participants to walk, play, run, cycle, swim or a combination of activities to cover a distance of 200km over the course of the month.

Lauren said: “I am frustrated and surprised by the lack of investment funding going into brain tumor research. There is no one set of symptoms or one size fits all when it comes to treatment. If we are to discover kinder treatment options and find a cure for this disease, we need greater investment in research.”

Charlie Allesbrook, community development manager at Brain Tumor Research, said: “Brain tumors are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour, yet only 1% of national cancer research spending has been allocated to brain tumors since records began in 2002.

“Lauren has been through so much with her health, the resilience she has shown is admirable. We are extremely grateful that Lauren shared her story with us and reached 200,000 in May along the way.”