I was told my headaches were from my birth control — then I found out it was actually a brain tumor

A teacher who was told her headaches were caused by the contraceptive pill was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Holly Worswick, 26, started experiencing headaches and intermittent vision.

After a concerned visit to her GP, she was told her symptoms were caused by the contraceptive pill and was placed on another one.

But her symptoms persisted, and a visit to her optician revealed she had a mass the size of a grapefruit on her right optic nerve.

She was immediately transferred to Macclesfield District General Hospital, where an MRI and CT scan revealed a brain tumor.

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Holly underwent a biopsy that revealed her tumor was a benign meningioma, and doctors would monitor it for growth.

Sadly, her tumor grew back twice, and she has had to undergo a total of six operations — and will have to undergo scans for the rest of her life to monitor the growth.

“I was experiencing headaches and intermittent vision,” Holly, a PE teacher from Cheshire, England said.

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“I initially put the symptoms down to fatigue, and went to my local GP about the symptoms I was experiencing.

“They put it down to the contraceptive pill, and they changed the pill I was on to another one — they didn’t investigate any further.

“The symptoms persisted, so I was growing concerned.”

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Holly’s symptoms started in February 2021 and concerned about the headaches persisting, Holly went to her local optician, who performed an OCT scan, a non-invasive medical imaging test.

The results showed that Holly had a mass the size of a grapefruit on her right optic nerve on Februry 14, 2021.

“They sent me straight to Macclesfield Hospital, where they performed an MRI and CT scan,” she said.

“The results were pretty instant and confirmed I had a mass on the brain. I was a bit confused, to be honest, I didn’t know what it meant. I asked them, and they said it was a brain tumor.

“That is when it hit me, I was like ‘Oh my gosh.'”

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The following day, Holly went to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital for more eye tests and went to Salford Hospital for more MRI and CT scans.

At Salford Hospital, a doctor explained they would need to remove the tumor and take a biopsy.

The following day, Holly underwent the operation.

“They said I had a grade 1 benign meningioma,” she said. “They said the biopsy was successful but they weren’t able to remove it all due to its location.

“I had also developed an infection, so I had to undergo a second surgery soon after.”

Within a month, she was back in hospital to have part of her skull removed after it became infected.

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In July 2021, she had a titanium plate fitted, which was later replaced with one made from biocompatible material.

Sadly, in November 2021, a CT scan revealed the tumor had regrown, and Holly had to undergo a fourth brain surgery in January 2022.

“I didn’t enjoy that Christmas, to be honest, it was awful,” Holly said.

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“I am not the biggest fan of Christmas anyway, but that made it particularly worse — it was all I was thinking about.”

In February 2024, Holly underwent her fifth operation to remove the tumor after another scan revealed new growth, followed by six weeks of targeted proton beam therapy.

Holly thought all was clear, but earlier this year she began struggling with her hearing, and a doctor confirmed the tumor had grown back again.

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“The tumor grew near the ear canal — I had my sixth operation in July 2025,” Holly said.

“It was growing into the ear canal, so my ears were popping, leaking and crackling.

“I was struggling to hear people, so they removed the eardrum and closed the ear canal off, which has left me slightly deaf in my right ear.”

Holly will now undergo MRI scans every six months for the rest of her life to monitor the growth of the tumor.

Using her story of resilience, Holly applied to take part in this year’s Miss England, which takes place on October 3, 2025. Voting is now open.

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“My entry is all about raising awareness of brain tumors,” Holly said.

“People think pageants are all about how you look, but it isn’t. It is about your story and what you have done for your community.

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“I want to raise as much awareness for brain tumors and show people there is life after diagnosis.”

Shannon Winslade, Head of Services at The Brain Tumor Charity, said, “We’re really grateful to everyone who shares their story to raise awareness of brain tumors.

“We know that every family deals with a brain tumor diagnosis and its aftermath in their own unique way.

“That’s why The Brain Tumor Charity offers support to anyone who needs it. It’s so important for them to know that they are not alone.”