38-Year-Old Mom Discovers She’s Had Brain Tumor for 15 Years After Doctors Dismissed Her Headaches as Postpartum Anxiety

A 38-year-old mother is demanding accountability after medical professionals repeatedly dismissed a life-threatening, “satsuma-sized” brain tumor as postpartum anxiety for more than half a decade.

Jodie Boulton began experiencing chronic headaches shortly after the birth of her son, Cooper, in 2020. Despite returning to her General Practitioner (GP) numerous times over the next six years, her physical symptoms were consistently attributed to the psychological stresses of motherhood.

“I trusted that explanation, but deep down I knew something wasn’t right,” Boulton told the U.K. charity Brain Tumour Research.

The medical oversight ended in March 2025, when a different physician ordered an MRI after Boulton’s menstrual cycle ceased. The scan revealed a massive tumor lodged in her pituitary gland. Specialists at University Hospital Cardiff estimated the mass had likely been growing for 15 to 20 years, silently disrupting her hormonal balance.

By June 2025, the tumor began compromising Boulton’s vision and balance. She underwent a grueling 12-hour surgery where surgeons successfully removed 85% of the mass. The remaining 15% remains encased around her optic nerve, deemed too high-risk for extraction.

The tumor was identified as a low-grade meningioma, the most common form of adult central nervous system tumor, typically representing 30% to 37% of cases.

Boulton’s recovery was derailed ten days post-operation by a severe infection. During a follow-up, a consultant discovered the surgical wound had been covered with the “wrong type of dressing,” allowing a significant infection to take root.

The complication turned critical, forcing surgeons to perform an emergency procedure to remove a portion of Boulton’s skull where the infection had spread to the bone.

Today, Boulton’s life is defined by a restrictive “new normal.” She must wear a protective hard hat at all times to safeguard her exposed brain while she awaits the fitting of a titanium plate.

The delay in diagnosis and subsequent surgical complications have stripped Boulton of her independence. She is currently unable to work and faces the prospect of radiotherapy to manage the residual tumor.

“I feel angry that if the wound had been treated properly, my life might already be back to normal,” Boulton said.