A Kent mother whose brain tumour may have been growing for two decades is urging others to advocate for their health after struggling to get doctors to take her worsening migraines seriously. Nikita Sterling, 39, from Medway, paid £400 for a private MRI scan that revealed a large non-cancerous tumour after her symptoms dramatically worsened.
The secondary school psychology teacher had experienced migraines since age 18, occurring just two or three times per year with visual disturbances and intense pressure headaches. She never sought medical help because the episodes were infrequent, lasting eight to 12 hours before fading away.
Everything changed in October 2024 when Nikita noticed her migraines increasing to every three weeks. The symptoms intensified dramatically, feeling like someone was "filling her head up with water," and she began experiencing episodes where she would "black out" and "wake up in a puddle of sick."
Diagnosis struggles
The turning point came at a parents' evening in January when Nikita suddenly lost the ability to speak. "I just couldn't think of the words I needed to say, it was really embarrassing," she said.
Despite worsening symptoms that forced her to take breaks while teaching, Nikita struggled to get doctors to listen. She was repeatedly told they were "just migraines" when she sought NHS care.
Her sister urged her to pay privately for an MRI scan to ensure she was safe to fly on a family holiday. The £400 scan at a Maidstone clinic revealed urgent results - doctors called within hours telling her to go to A&E immediately.
Surgery and recovery
The scan showed a large mass on her frontal lobe, later diagnosed as a meningioma. Doctors at King's College Hospital performed a four-hour operation to remove the tumour on April 22 - coincidentally her husband Dean's 40th birthday.
The surgery was successful, with doctors removing the entire tumour. Medical professionals estimated it could have been growing for 20 years undetected, explaining her decades of migraines.
Nikita has recovered well from the operation, though she experiences fatigue more easily. Her migraines have largely disappeared, and she can now take medication to stop any visual disturbances before they develop into full episodes.
Family support and advocacy
The experience proved harder for her family than herself, Nikita reflected. Her children Sebastian, eight, and Florence, five, gave her their teddy bears to take into hospital, showing remarkable resilience throughout the ordeal.
"If my story can help one person to advocate for themselves and be more assertive, that can only be a good thing," Nikita said. "Doctors need to listen to their patients and truly trust that they know their own bodies."
Dean is now taking on the Climb the Capital challenge in October, tackling three London skyscrapers to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. Nikita plans to gradually return to teaching from September.
Sources used: "PA Real Life", "Kent Live", "WalesOnline", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
