Woman says her facial disfigurement is badge of honor

By Ben Barry via SWNS

A woman says her facial disfigurement is a "badge of honor" after undergoing a "disaster operation" to remove her brain tumor.

Maggie McMartin, 70, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May 2005 after experiencing forgetfulness, exhaustion and dizzy spells.

While working in a call center, Maggie realized she kept asking people on the phone to repeat what they said and was so tired she was having to take naps in her car at lunch.

Maggie was taken to the hospital - where an MRI scan revealed a mass on her brain.

She had the tumor removed in 2005 but required surgery afterward to lift her face after the surgeon cut through Maggie's nerves during the procedure - leaving her deaf in one year and with a drooped face.

Maggie from Port Charlotte, Scotland, said: "The operation to remove the tumor was a disaster.

"The surgeon cut through some nerves, which meant the left side of my face drooped and my eyes wouldn’t shut.

"When my daughter Fiona saw me, she was sick and said: 'What have you done to my mom?'

"It took me three days to look in the mirror, and when I finally did, I broke down in tears.

"When my family came to see me, I saw the looks on their faces.

"It took me a long time to accept what had happened to me, but my family tells me my face is my badge of honor."

Maggie - who has three adult children, Fiona, 40, Mairi, 43, and Calum, 45 - first noticed something was wrong after she started getting dizzy spells and being sick in 1998.

Her GP treated her for labyrinthitis - an inner ear infection that affects balance. But her symptoms persisted.

Maggie said: "I just couldn’t retain any information.

"At lunchtime, I felt so tired that I had to sleep in the car.

"When I returned to the center, I couldn’t pick up my pen. I knew something was happening and I felt really scared.”

She was later diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma - a type of non-cancerous brain tumor - in May 2005.

Maggie said: "There’s not enough awareness of brain tumors and it is vital that more research is done to find a cure for this horrible disease.”

Maggie has raised over $9,000 for Brain Tumour Research.

The hospital trust has been approached for comment and the surgeon in question is no longer allowed to practice in Scotland.