'When I was at University I suffered from headaches most days, and diagnosed myself with migraine. It was an easy mistake to make – I had the paralysing pain and the visual disturbances, and the strong migraine tablets I bought from a chemist seemed to cure everything when an attack struck.
What they didn't cure was my brain tumour - for me the migraine pain masked a more serious condition. The pain was caused by my brain swelling and the lights as it pressed against the back of my eyes. But I don't want to alarm you: one in ten Brits suffer from migraine, brain tumours affect just one in 17,000. However I couldn't write this piece without offering my advice: If you get a bad headache for no good reason, get medical advice. A doctor is more qualified than you or I to diagnose brain problems!' — Tom Savage 28.09.00