A FALMOUTH postie who drank ten litres of water a day for two years before being diagnosed with a brain tumour is raising awareness of the disease by jumping out of a plane.
Jonathan Plummer who lives in Falmouth was diagnosed with a germ cell tumour (GCT) in 2002, following two years of excessive water-drinking which doctors thought could be diabetes. He was 20 at the time.
Now, 41, Jonathan said: “I felt a constant thirst that I couldn’t quench and got to the point where I was passing as much water as I was drinking. It was an awful time which caused me to miss days of work at a time and I experienced extreme fatigue.”
He had appointments with his GP and a kidney specialist although test results came back inconclusive. Eventually a routine eye test found an abnormality and he was referred to Derriford Hospital for an MRI scan which revealed a large mass.
He added: “By this point I resigned myself to the fact it was something I would have to live with. Never did I imagine that a brain tumour was the cause let alone the fact it was noticed during an eye test of all things. It almost feels like it was found by fluke.
“I was devastated. The tumour was growing on my pituitary gland, which was causing my need to drink water all the time and many other ‘spots’ on my brain. An operation wasn’t an option so I was placed on steroids to help with the pressure of the tumour in my brain.”
The steroids caused Jonathan to gain four stone over a short period of time, he went from 12st to 18st.
Jonathan had 30 rounds of intense radiotherapy and after a period of stable scans was discharged, however he remains on life-long medication as a result of the brain tumour.
He said: “I was always very active and played rugby and cricket weekly which is something I have never been able to return to. I took up running and swimming as non-contact exercise and have regained control of my weight.”
Now Jonathan has raised more than £380 for the charity Brain Tumour Research by taking part in a Jump For Hope at Perranporth Airfield in Cornwall.
The postie, who generally prefers to have both feet firmly on the ground, is preparing to jump from a height of 10,000ft later this month.
One in three people know someone affected by a brain tumour. In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re grateful to Jonathan for sharing his story and it’s wonderful to hear how he has found positivity after his brain tumour diagnosis.
“His story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together that we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.”
To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Jonathan’s Jump for Hope, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jonathan-Plummer81