Dad's devastating diagnosis after collapsing at Universal Studios in Florida.

A dream family holiday to Florida turned into a nightmare when a dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour after he collapsed at a theme park. Barry Reid was enjoying the day out with wife Gillian and their two little girls when he passed out while queuing for a waterslide at Universal's Volcano Bay, the Daily Record reported. He recalled: "I had multiple scans at the hospital in Orlando."As the results came back it was the last thing I thought the doctor would say: 'Mr Reid, the MRI scan has shown a frontal lobe brain tumour in the front left of your brain'."This is the point my life changed."
Barry, 32, had no previous symptoms other than several headaches he put down to new LED lighting at the high street store where he's a retail manager. At the time doctor's just prescribed him with anti-migraine over the counter medicine. After his collapse in Orlando, medics stabilised Barry and gave him anti-seizure medication. He was then flown back home, along with a medical escort for safety, five days later on October 25. When he returned Barry was taken straight to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth Hospital to hand over his notes from the American doctors and discuss the next step.
Just two weeks later, Barry was facing an awake craniotomy brain tumour surgery to remove as much of the 3.5cm mass as possible. Barry added: "I was terrified of brain surgery, obviously, I was physically shaking."The day before my surgery was due, the anaesthetist took time to show me around the operating theatre to calm my nerves, explaining the procedure, showing me the table I'd be lying on - everything to calm me down.I'll always appreciate that. I knew I had to put my trust in surgeon Mr Grivas and his team. Over ten hours later, the operation was complete."Mr Grivas had done an amazing job and only left 3mm of a tumour in and he was happy with the way the operation had gone."
Barry's operation involved him being put under anaesthetic but the surgeon would have to wake him during the operation to perform verbal tests to make sure none of his healthy tissue was being damaged. He said: "As they were working nearer to the speech part of my brain, they said I started stuttering and that's how they knew they could go no further."At one point, the doctors said I was chirping away like a budgie during the awake part of the craniotomy."I can't remember that, so maybe not a bad thing."Doctors discovered after the surgery that Barry's tumour had grown from a grade two to grade three tumour - cancer cells appear distinctly abnormal under the microscope.
Barry's operation involved him being put under anaesthetic but the surgeon would have to wake him during the operation to perform verbal tests to make sure none of his healthy tissue was being damaged. He said: "As they were working nearer to the speech part of my brain, they said I started stuttering and that's how they knew they could go no further."At one point, the doctors said I was chirping away like a budgie during the awake part of the craniotomy.
"I can't remember that, so maybe not a bad thing."
Doctors discovered after the surgery that Barry's tumour had grown from a grade two to grade three tumour cancer cells appear distinctly abnormal under the microscope.Reid from Ayr, Scotland, was 12 days into the trip when he was rushed to hospital, where doctors broke the devastating news. Five days later, Barry was allowed home to be with his family just a day before his 32nd birthday. But Barry was then admitted back to the neuro ward two weeks later with a serious skull infection. He spent more than six weeks in hospital - missing the Christmas holiday with his wife and children. Barry said: "That was really tough."Luckily I had a six-hour window with my family just on Christmas day between treatment for the infection just enough time to open presents with them."Following chemotherapy treatment for the remaining 3mm of the tumour, Barry has spent the last eight months working hard on his recovery and returning to work.
He added: "I would like to thank neurosurgeon, Mr A Grivas and all the ward 63 staff for looking after me and my family during my time in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital."All the staff were really friendly and always ensured I received the best possible care."Barry now faces more radiotherapy in mid-February 2019 to shrink the remaining parts of the tumour. Now the dad and his family are determined to raise as much awareness of the devastating impact of a brain tumour diagnosis as they can. On October 20, he will take part in The Brain Tumour Charity's Prestwick Twilight Walk, which brings together the community of all of those affected. It's part of The Charity's annual Twilight Walks. Barry said: "As a family, we're looking forward to the Prestwick walk."You get a diagnosis like this and suddenly you realise that there are others out there going through the same."We've had lovely support from Katie Grier and Heather Dearie, who are also living with a brain tumour and lives just a street away from us, who also works for the charity.
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