Man says going into work on his day off saved his life

Health

By Jane Herz

A UK man says his life was saved when he went to work last minute to cover a coworker’s shift.

Michael Lock, 50, was working as a porter in Yeovil Hospital on his day off when he suffered a severe headache and numbness in his left arm, SWNS reports.

He was rushed to the emergency room at his own hospital, where a scan revealed he had an inoperable glioma, causing brain swelling and a buildup of fluid.

“I had no other symptoms before I woke up with a headache that day,” Lock told SWNS.

“Despite taking paracetamol, that didn’t work, I still went in to cover my colleague’s shift, and I’m glad I did.”

A glioma is a type of tumor that grows in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and they are cancerous.

Typically, they are slow-growing and don’t spread past the brain or spine.

Survival rates can vary, as they depend on the type and grade of the tumor and the person’s age.

Doctors at the hospital reportedly told Lock that if he had stayed home that day in May 2003, he could have died.

Now, he lives with a permanent shunt in his head, which helps to drain the fluid.

The tumor is inoperable, and it continues to grow on his brainstem, which caused Lock to have a mini-stroke and memory problems.

“My life has changed since finding out I have a brain tumor,” Lock told SWNS.

“Although my daily routine consists of different medication, I am more focused on living rather than working all hours of the day, which is what I used to do.”

Lock doesn’t work at the hospital anymore. Instead, he’s a part-time support worker at a charity.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of his diagnosis, Lock will be participating in the Walk of Hope on Sept. 30 for the Brain Tumour Research charity, which aims to raise awareness about brain cancer.

According to the group, brain tumors kill more men under the age of 70 than prostate cancer.

But not Lock.

“When I asked the prognosis, the doctor said, ‘Having a brain tumor is like living with a ticking time bomb,’ and that thought is horrible,” he told SWNS.

“It’s important that we keep talking about brain tumors to get this disease spoken about in front of the people who can help us be part of a positive change for existing and future patients.”