Dad’s ‘low testosterone’ turns out to be brain tumor

By Lula White

A dad who put his extreme fatigue down to low testosterone was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.

Jamie Brunt, 42, could not keep his eyes open from tiredness but his GP dismissed it for low testosterone and poor diet when his blood tests showed no cause for concern.

But when the father-of-two suffered a seizure while driving two years later - passing out and crashing his van - a CT scan revealed a glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer and Jamie was given seven months to live.

But after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, he has outlived his prognosis.

Jamie, owner of Big Dog Custom Campers, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said: "I just couldn’t stay awake. I would sleep all night, wake up, have a coffee and a cigarette, and then I would be asleep again within about 20 minutes.

"It felt like I had weights clipped to my eyelids. I had never experienced anything like it before.

"I spoke to my GP during COVID and thought it might be low testosterone.

"They did blood tests and told me everything was fine. A dietitian rang me and said it was probably my diet. After that, there was no follow-up and it was just forgotten about."

After his tiredness in summer 2020 was dismissed, Jamie suffered a seizure in 2022.

He said: “Then, in 2022, everything changed.

"I had driven from Chesterfield to Nottingham to pick up some patio furniture and I was a bit tired, but nothing unusual.

"I remember passing Junction 28 and thinking I was nearly home when a seizure hit. The next thing I knew, someone was opening my passenger door because I’d crashed.

"I’d bitten my tongue and there was blood everywhere. The police asked me to do a breathalyser, which was clear. They took me home and told my ex-partner that I needed to go to hospital."

Jamie was taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital where doctors carried out CT scans.

Initially they were thought to show a bleed caused by the impact of his crash but further investigation revealed something more serious.

Jamie was referred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, where he met with a surgeon who identified a mass on his brain that required urgent surgery.

He underwent a craniotomy to remove all the visible tumour but the operation left Jamie relearning how to walk and talk.

He said: “One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was telling my daughters, Millie and Rosie.

“Trying to explain to them that I was going to die was awful. I hadn’t always been around as much as I should have been, and I was trying to rebuild those relationships while facing the idea that my time was limited.

"I knew I needed more time for them.”

Jamie went on to have 30 sessions of radiotherapy in October and November 2023, followed by six cycles of chemotherapy tablets, which finished in summer 2024.

He experienced fatigue and hair thinning but was otherwise able to tolerate treatment well.

In November 2025, Jamie had a scan that showed no signs of cancer cells, but glioblastoma nearly always recurs and when it does, treatment options are extremely limited.

For now, Jamie is taking each day as it comes.

He said: “It’s strange hearing good news when you’ve spent so long preparing yourself to die.

“I still prepare for the worst every time the phone rings but physically, I feel good.

"Emotionally, I have lost a bit of the fizz for life I used to have even though I know how lucky I am.

"Glioblastoma doesn’t usually give people this much time.”

Now, Jamie is taking part in the 10,000 Steps a Day in February challenge to help support the new Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Nottingham.

The center, which focuses on research into glioblastoma, will use modern techniques to progress towards improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

Jamie said: “Before my scans came back clear, I had been looking into other options, including genetic treatments and personalized therapies abroad.

"I was researching places in Germany and anywhere else that might offer something different, because when you are told there is no cure, you look at everything.

“That’s why knowing this kind of research is being developed closer to home makes a difference.

"I can’t give back in many ways, but I can walk this challenge. If raising awareness or supporting research helps even one person, then it’s worth it.”

Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jamie’s story highlights the reality that brain tumor symptoms are often dismissed or misattributed, leading to diagnosis in emergency situations.

"Glioblastoma remains one of the most aggressive and challenging cancers to treat, and it is only through sustained investment in research that outcomes can improve.

“We are incredibly grateful to Jamie for sharing his experience and for supporting our new Nottingham Centre of Excellence, which will focus on driving forward much-needed research into glioblastoma.”