A MIDLOTHIAN man eventually diagnosed with a huge, terminal brain tumour was prescribed headache tablets and told “the mind can do funny things” when he first went to his GP with symptoms.

For almost a year during the pandemic Scott McBride, from Loanhead, experienced headaches and physical episodes - later found to have been seizures.

It took five trips to his GP to be referred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for a CT scan in October 2021.

Mr McBride was then found to have a 10cm (four -inch) glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour.

He was told it had been growing for several years, and the pressure was causing migraines.

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Mr McBride said: “The doctor said it was a terminal diagnosis and I wouldn’t recover from it. He said I had just a few short years, which was a big shock.

“I really wasn’t expecting to hear that.”

The 28-year-old, who works in tackling financial crime, is now undertaking a 10km walk to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research.

On Saturday October 29 - together with family and friends - Mr McBride will circle Flotterstone reservoir and scale Scald Law, the highest of the Pentland Hills.

So far, he has raised over £1,400.

Mr McBride said he first suspected something was wrong when he began experiencing a "small tingling feeling" down the right-hand side of his body in November 2020.

He added: "Then, one day while walking to work, my foot slipped as if it was on a wet leaf, but the pavement was clear and dry.”

He called his GP but was told “the mind can do funny things” and to ring again if his symptoms worsened.

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By January 2021 the tingling was a daily occurrence, and then physical episodes began.

He said: “At work, I’d be holding my computer mouse for 30 seconds and I was unable to let go of it, as if my hand was locked.

“I couldn’t speak. I had to hang up on customers because I couldn’t get my words out. I had to call them back after, pretending there had been a problem with the phone line. This would happen three times a day.”

By June 2021, Mr McBride was from suffering seizures like this six times a day, as well as migraines.

He said: “I’d never had headaches before, but these were so strong I had to go home from work. My manager thought I was depressed.”

When he visited his GP for a fifth time questioning if the headaches and tingling sensations were linked, he was told they were not.

Mr McBride was prescribed migraine medication but when he said the tablets did nothing to help, his GP referred him for a scan.

He has since had treatment to prolong his life, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but there is no cure for his tumour.

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In November 2021, Mr McBride underwent an awake craniotomy where the tumour was removed and he was asked during surgery to name a number of images.

This helps the neurosurgery team to remove only damaged tissue.

“The operation went really well, and they managed to remove over 90 per cent of the tumour," said Mr McBride.

"Afterwards, an MRI scan showed a big black space where the tumour had been. I felt really good, and I’ve not had any seizures since.”

Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are sorry to learn about Scott’s diagnosis, but we are pleased to hear how well he is doing.

“We are extremely grateful to Scott for organising this great-sounding walk, as it’s only with the support of people like him that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours, improve options and outcomes for patients like Scott, and ultimately, find a cure for all types of brain tumours.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease.