Latest news with #DavidDingley
New York Post
13-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Man diagnosed with ear infection later learns it was a sign of a rare brain tumor
A man was told that his ear infection was actually a sign of a rare brain tumor. David Dingley, 76, noticed he wasn't hearing properly in June 2023, but assumed he had a bad cold. His earing issues persisted, and after multiple visits to his GP, he was diagnosed with an ear infection, and later diagnosed with a blocked eustachian tube and referred to an ear, nose, and throat clinic. The blockage continued for a year, and by September 2024, the issue was unresolved, so David was referred for an MRI scan at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. The scan revealed a lesion on his brain, and in November 2024, David underwent two more MRI scans at Southampton General Hospital and confirmed that the lesion was an oligodendroglioma – a rare type of brain tumor. 5 David Dingley, 76, noticed he wasn't hearing properly in June 2023, but assumed he had a bad cold. Brain Tumour Research / SWNS Currently, David is undergoing six-monthly scans due to the tumor's minimal blood supply. David, retired, from Winchester, Hampshire, said: 'I felt absolutely fine, no symptoms whatsoever. 'That's what surprised me the most. 'I had no loss of balance, difficulty with language, no slurred speech, headaches, or blurred vision. 'The diagnosis was shocking.' David had made multiple visits to his GP since he noticed that he wasn't hearing properly. 5 His earing issues persisted, and after multiple visits to his GP, he was diagnosed with an ear infection, and later diagnosed with a blocked eustachian tube and referred to an ear, nose, and throat clinic. Brain Tumour Research / SWNS He was first diagnosed with an ear infection and later a blocked eustachian tube and referred to an ear, nose, and throat clinic. Despite exercises to ease the blockage, the symptoms continued for more than a year. By September 2024, with the issue still unresolved, David was referred for an MRI scan at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Although the original symptoms had subsided, the scan revealed something unexpected: a lesion in his brain. David said, 'Lesion initially conjured up an image of something quite small. 'But as soon as I did a little research, I realised this could be serious and meant I had something significant happening to my brain. In November 2024, David underwent two more MRI scans at Southampton General Hospital to assess blood flow to the tumor Doctors diagnosed him with an oligodendroglioma, a rare type of brain tumor. David was presented with three options: a biopsy, surgery, or continued monitoring. As he was otherwise fit and healthy, and the tumor showed minimal blood supply, David chose active monitoring. He now undergoes regular six-monthly scans, with his next one scheduled for later this month. David said, 'I would never have known I had a brain tumor. I still feel perfectly fine. 'But since my diagnosis, I've met so many others who've either experienced or lost someone to brain cancer. 'They are often told their symptoms are stress or migraines until something truly serious occurs.' David has been obliged to report his diagnosis to the DVLA, but as he remains symptom-free and the tumor was discovered incidentally, he has retained his driving license. 5 Although the original symptoms had subsided, the scan revealed something unexpected: a lesion in his brain. Brain Tumour Research / SWNS 5 Doctors diagnosed him with an oligodendroglioma, a rare type of brain tumor. Brain Tumour Research / SWNS Determined to raise awareness about how brain tumors can develop undetected and be masked by seemingly minor health issues, David is partnering with Brain Tumor Research and will walk 25km across 16 iconic London bridges on September 21, 2025, as part of the Thames Bridges Trek David said, 'A time may come when my tumor will cause serious problems. 'But I am fortunate, at least I have the possibility of acting before it does. 'Any brain surgery, even a biopsy, has risks and means you cannot drive for some time, which makes life difficult in today's world!. 5 David has been obliged to report his diagnosis to the DVLA, but as he remains symptom-free and the tumor was discovered incidentally, he has retained his driving licence. Brain Tumour Research / SWNS 'We need better options and more investment in early detection and non-invasive treatment.' Brain tumors kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, yet just 1% of the national spent on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumors since records began in 2002, according to the Brain Tumor Research. Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumor Research, said: 'David's story highlights how easily brain tumors can be missed and the urgent need for more research. 'We're incredibly grateful for his efforts to raise awareness and funds. Every step he takes helps bring us closer to our goal: improving early diagnosis, treatment options, and ultimately finding a cure.'
Daily Mirror
13-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Pensioner's ultra-rare brain tumour 'mistaken for ear infection'
David Dingley went to his GP with hearing trouble - but doctors found something more sinister A pensioner was shocked to discover that his persistent ear infection was actually a rare brain tumour. David Dingley, 76, began experiencing hearing problems in June 2023, but initially brushed it off as a severe cold. Despite numerous visits to his GP, his hearing issues continued and he was diagnosed with an ear infection, which later turned out to be a blocked eustachian tube. He was then referred to an ear, nose and throat clinic. However, the blockage persisted for a year, and by September 2024, the problem remained unresolved, leading to David being referred for an MRI scan at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. The scan revealed a lesion on his brain, and in November 2024, David underwent two more MRI scans at Southampton General Hospital. These confirmed that the lesion was an oligodendroglioma - a rare type of brain tumour. Currently, David is undergoing six-monthly scans due to the tumour's minimal blood supply. David, who is retired and lives in Winchester, Hampshire, expressed his shock, saying: "I felt absolutely fine, no symptoms whatsoever. That's what surprised me the most. I had no loss of balance, difficulty with language, no slurred speech, headaches or blurred vision. The diagnosis was shocking." David had made multiple visits to his GP since he noticed that he was not hearing properly. He was first diagnosed with an ear infection and later a blocked eustachian tube and referred to an ear, nose and throat clinic. Despite exercises to alleviate the blockage, the symptoms persisted for more than a year. By September 2024, with the problem still unresolved, David was referred for an MRI scan at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Although the original symptoms had cleared, the scan uncovered something unexpected, a lesion on his brain. David said: "Lesion initially conjured up an image of something quite small. "But as soon as I did a little research, I realised this could be serious and meant I had something significant happening to my brain." In November 2024, David underwent two more MRI scans at Southampton General Hospital to evaluate blood flow to the tumour. Doctors diagnosed him with an oligodendroglioma, a rare type of brain tumour. David was presented with three options: a biopsy, surgery, or continued monitoring. As he was otherwise fit and healthy, and the tumour showed minimal blood supply, David chose active monitoring. He now undergoes regular six-monthly scans, with his next one scheduled for later this month. David said: "I would never have known I had a brain tumour. I still feel perfectly fine. "But since my diagnosis, I've met so many others who've either experienced or lost someone to brain cancer. They are often told their symptoms are stress or migraines until something truly serious occurs." David has been obliged to report his diagnosis to the DVLA but as he remains symptom-free and the tumour was discovered incidentally, he has retained his driving licence. David, a man determined to raise awareness about the silent development of brain tumours and their ability to hide behind minor health issues, is teaming up with Brain Tumour Research. He plans to embark on a 25km walk across 16 iconic London bridges on 21 September 2025 as part of the Thames Bridges Trek. David said: "A time may come when my tumour will cause serious problems. But I am fortunate, at least I have the possibility of acting before it does. "Any brain surgery, even biopsy, has risks and means you cannot drive for some time - which makes life difficult in today's world. We need better options and more investment in early detection and non-invasive treatment." Brain tumours claim more lives of men under 70 than prostate cancer, yet only 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this deadly disease since records began in 2002, according to Brain Tumour Research. Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, commented: "David's story highlights how easily brain tumours can be missed and the urgent need for more research. "We're incredibly grateful for his efforts to raise awareness and funds. Every step he takes helps bring us closer to our goal: improving early diagnosis, treatment options, and ultimately finding a cure."
Daily Mirror
13-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I thought cold left me with ear infection - then I got devastating diagnosis'
David Dingley, 76, thought he was suffering from the after-effects of a nasty cold when he started to lose his hearing - but was given a devastating diagnosis after an MRI scan A man has described how he went to doctors with what he thought was an ear infection - only to discover he had cancer. David Dingley, 76, first noticed issues with his hearing in June 2023, but put it down to the lingering effects of a recent cold. After multiple visits to his GP when the problems failed to clear, he was diagnosed with an ear infection, and was later told he was likely suffering from a blocked eustachian tube, before being referred to an ear, nose and throat clinic. But things had not improved a year later, and in September 2024 David was referred for an MRI scan at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. It comes after video emerged of the incredible moment a train smashed into van on level crossing - but driver survives. There, a scan revealed what appeared to be a lesion on his brain. In November that year, David underwent two more MRI scans at Southampton General Hospital. It was confirmed that the lesion was an oligodendroglioma - a rare type of brain tumour. David - who describes being told of the diagnosis as "shocking" - is now undergoing six-monthly scans due to the tumour's minimal blood supply. The retiree from Winchester, Hampshire, said: 'I felt absolutely fine, no symptoms whatsoever. That's what surprised me the most. "I had no loss of balance, difficulty with language, no slurred speech, headaches or blurred vision. I would never have known I had a brain tumour. I still feel perfectly fine. But since my diagnosis, I've met so many others who've either experienced or lost someone to brain cancer. "They are often told their symptoms are stress or migraines until something truly serious occurs." David has been obliged to report his diagnosis to the DVLA, but has retained his driving licence as he remains symptom-free, and the tumour was discovered incidentally. He's now determined to raise awareness about how brain tumours can develop undetected and be masked by seemingly minor health issues, and is partnering with Brain Tumour Research for a new challenge. On September 21, he will walk 25km across 16 iconic London bridges on as part of the Thames Bridges Trek. David said: "A time may come when my tumour will cause serious problems. "But I am fortunate, at least I have the possibility of acting before it does. "Any brain surgery, even biopsy, has risks and means you cannot drive for some time - which makes life difficult in today's world!. "We need better options and more investment in early detection and non-invasive treatment.' Brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to them since records began in 2002, according to the Brain Tumour Research. Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: 'David's story highlights how easily brain tumours can be missed and the urgent need for more research. "We're incredibly grateful for his efforts to raise awareness and funds. Every step he takes helps bring us closer to our goal: improving early diagnosis, treatment options, and ultimately finding a cure.'
