Davina McCall has opened up about the distressing measures she took prior to undergoing surgery for a potentially deadly brain cyst.
The much-loved TV host shared told interviewer Steven Bartlett in her new podcast that she penned heartfelt letters to her kids in the face of the dangers posed by brain surgery, telling Steven: “When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks.”
Davina went on to say: “Nicking an artery or a blood vessel in the brain and having a bleed… so there were a lot of things that could be a risk.”
In an emotional revelation on her Instagram page, Davina told how a routine health scan unearthed a serious threat lurking within her head: “A few months ago, I did a menopause talk for a company and they offered me a health scan in return, which I thought I was going to ace. But it turned out I had a benign brain tumour called a colloid cyst, which is very rare – three in a million.”
She informed her followers: “I realised that I have to get it taken out. It’s big for the space – it fills the space. It’s 14mm wide. And it needs to come out because if it grows it would be bad.”
The potential complications weighed heavily on her mind, prompting a serious conversation with her partner Michael Douglas about worst-case scenarios, reports Lancs Live.
As part of her preparations, Davina concluded: “I talked to Michael about my wishes. I wrote letters of wishes to all the children, and put those in my will.” Davina revealed that she had even given a name to the unwelcome intruder growing within her brain: “I called my brain tumour Jeffrey.”
When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks.” We had a Jeffrey happy birthday party with friends. Michael played the piano and sang some songs and sort of did speeches. And we all kind of talked about things and I talked about the fact that I was a bit scared, but I thought ‘I know I’m going to do it.”
When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks.” And if it was going to happen to anybody, it was good it happened to me because I am robust mentally and I can handle it.”
While Davina had accepted the risks ahead, she was deeply worried about her children: “Davina: It was funny with Chester because he’s the youngest. He’s eighteen. And it was only when I came home, he was like, ‘I didn’t realise how serious it was.’
“When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks.” I said, ‘Well, I’m pleased, you know, because look, here I am and it all went well and it was fine.”
“But in a way, there was part of me that was thinking, ‘If it hadn’t been fine, he would have struggled the most. ‘”
As doctors prepared to anaesthetise the TV star, Davina reflected on the potential impact on her family if the worst were to occur: “Weirdly, I’d thought about it so much that actually my final thought about it was that they’re surrounded by love and family and Michael, but also they’re really great kids.
“When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks. I just thought, ‘You guys… it will be devastating, but you will all be okay.'”
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