The man, 31, thought he had hurt himself in weight training. His pain became symptomatic of a heartbreaking diagnosis

need to know

• Sean Sweeney began experiencing symptoms in early 2022, including muscle pain in the neck, with exercise relieving the pain.

• Months later he discovered that his symptoms were actually signs of a terminal diagnosis

• Sweeney married his partner of 12 years, Lucy, before undergoing a nine-hour operation for her diagnosis

A 31-year-old man from England who believed he injured himself weight training was shocked to learn his symptoms were actually signs of brain cancer.

Sean Sweeney, from South Yorkshire, was diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumor in July 2022, UK charity Brain Tumor Research shared a post on Facebook.

Sweeney told the charity that she initially injured herself in weight training months ago when she began experiencing frequent headaches, muscle pain in her neck and numbness in her right side.

During that time, he booked several physiotherapist appointments, but was later discharged after “they couldn’t identify the cause of the pain”.

“That was worrying. I remember feeling down and out, ‘I don’t feel right’, but not being able to explain why,” Sweeney said. “I was struggling to concentrate and the symptoms just kept coming.”

Then, that July, Sweeney had a sudden seizure in the early hours and was woken by her friend of 12 years, Lucy. He was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where a junior doctor told him after a CT scan that he had a brain lesion.

“I felt completely numb. I wasn’t crying or scared – my mind went straight to Lucy and my family,” he said.

Surgeons initially believed Sweeney’s tumor might be low-grade, and he tied the knot with Lucy before surgery, but after a nine-hour craniotomy in November 2022, he was told he had a grade 3 astrocytoma, according to Brain Tumor Research.

He was also told that he only had 10 years to live Daily Mail.

During the operation, Sweeney also suffered an acute stroke, according to the charity.

“Because I was awake, I remember the moment things actually changed. I could hear the psychologist telling the surgeon my speech was getting slurred,” he said. The next day, the physiotherapists noticed my walking problems, and part of my face fell off.”

Sweeney said the experience was “terrifying”, although he has recovered through rehabilitation and “today, you wouldn’t know I had a stroke.”

The 31-year-old began five weeks of radiotherapy in January 2023, followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy, which he finished in February 2024.

“It was incredibly hard to tell my mom, Kathleen,” Sweeney said of his diagnosis. “She was shocked and initially believed that my surgery meant I was cured, and it took time and many difficult conversations for her to understand that there was no cure for my tumor.”

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Sweeney is now focused on rebuilding his life.

“Two years later, he returned to work, cycling and fundraising with his family for brain tumor research, sharing his story to give others hope and support our important research into aggressive brain tumors,” Brain Tumor Research said.

Sweeney added, “If there’s one message I’d share with anyone facing a similar diagnosis, it’s this: stay positive and try not to focus on what’s out of your control. It’s not easy, but I truly believe that a positive mindset can help you move forward.”

Read the original article on People