Ex-Marine, 42, given 18 months to live after rushing to GP following 'unusual' episode in Manchester

A former Royal Marine was told by doctors that his headaches and dizzy spells might be caused by dehydration or migraines, until a walk through Manchester city centre, followed by a trip to A&E, revealed a sinister source.

James Greenwood, 42, went to A&E after his symptoms persisted on June 12, a CT scan revealed a walnut-sized tumour in his brain. James, who lives with his partner Rachel Jones, 31, had been experiencing "constant" and "dull" headaches since May.

His GP initially suggested the symptoms could be related to eye strain from his job as a facilities manager at JLL, a global real estate firm. Despite this, an early morning "severe" headache led him to seek emergency care, where his insistence on a CT scan uncovered the mass on his right temporal lobe.

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Following surgery on June 28 to remove the tumour, James was dealt a devastating blow in August when it was identified as grade four glioblastoma - the most severe type of brain cancer with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months. Having completed a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he is now awaiting results to see if his prognosis has improved, before embarking on a more aggressive chemotherapy regimen at the end of October.

Since his diagnosis, James has tried to "savour" every moment, crediting his mindset to the training he underwent in the Royal Marines, where he served for five years starting at age 18. He and three friends completed a 20-mile run across Edale Skyline in the Peak District on September 21, managing to raise over £14,000 for Brain Tumour Research. James expressed his hope that "other people may reap the benefits" from what they had achieved.

"People who have commented on how positively I'm responding to this recent bombshell, I would largely attribute a lot of that mindset to what the Marines really harnessed," he told PA Real Life. "The commando training was designed so anything you had to tackle in life, you could always refer back to it."

James is intent on living as normally as possible and believes "for me, it's about trying to be as normal as possible and there's a lot of belief in people saying positivity is a big benefit in combating illnesses and I just can't comprehend in dealing with this in any other way."

'Unusual episode' while walking in Manchester

On May 24, James first realised his health wasn't quite right during a conversation with his brother-in-law. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he explained: "My vision was wobbling a little bit and I needed to have a bit of a sit down."

Not long after, he began experiencing headaches which he described as "constant" and "dull".

James initially went to his GP on June 5 and was advised that it could be due to dehydration or the need for an updated eye test. Despite wearing glasses and spending long hours at a computer screen for work, James underwent a blood test and an ECG, which measures heart activity, yet both returned with "no concerns".

However, things took a worrying turn a few days later. On June 10, while walking in Manchester, James encountered an "unusual episode".

"I was walking across town and it was like an out-of-body experience, everything around me slowed down which caused me concern," he explained.

He managed to get a same-day appointment with his doctor who then attributed the symptoms to migraines - a diagnosis that left James unconvinced as he had never had them before. "I've never suffered with migraines in the past so I was sceptical," he said.

"As with the first GP appointment, I was pushing for a scan of some kind maybe it was a sixth sense or something but I just knew how I felt and I was trying to get some peace of mind more than anything."

The GP prescribed medication for migraine relief and advised making another appointment if there was no improvement. Sadly, on June 12, at around 5am, James woke with a "severe" headache and made his way to A&E with his girlfriend.

He remained firm in his conviction that a scan was necessary. "I was quite persistent and persevered with the claims for a scan," James said. A CT scan revealed a three-and-a-half centimetre by three-and-a-half centimetre mass in the right temporal lobe area of his brain.

James' case was promptly escalated, and a neurosurgeon informed him that his symptoms were indicative of a high-grade tumour. On June 28, he underwent brain surgery to remove the mass, and on August 8, he was informed that it had been identified as a grade four glioblastoma with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.

"There are some days where you have to kind of pinch yourself and question whether this is actually happening," James expressed. "Receiving the news is incredibly tough and you've got that initial period of shock but after that, you're forced to process it and try and take the good from it."

James, from Mold, North Wales, then embarked on a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy with the aim of improving his prognosis. He completed his last session of radiotherapy on September 19 and will have a rest period for a month before starting more intensive chemotherapy in late October.

He stated that this, along with regular MRI scans, should provide insight into how effective the treatment has been.

'You're trying to savour every moment'

"Strangely, it's been kind of liberating," James shared.

"I think everybody's probably guilty of taking people for granted, your loved ones, friends, family, but it's had the effect of reconnecting me with certain old friends, I think it's drawn the family closer. It alters your perspective and it's a bit cliched but you're trying to savour every moment."

James, who served in the Royal Marines from May 2000 for five years, credits his military experience with instilling a positive outlook. "It just instils in you that belief that regardless of what situation or scenario you're faced with, you can get through it," he explained.

Reflecting on a recent feat, James recounted the day he and three mates tackled the Edale Skyline, a demanding 20-mile trek across the Peak District, to support Brain Tumour Research. Their efforts have so far amassed over £14,000.

"It went really well, it was like me revisiting my version of normal, I wanted it to be a complete escape from everything and it served its purpose," James said. "It's always been one of my bucket list items to raise a fixed amount for charity over the course of my lifetime and the fact we've got to the total we have is absolutely incredible.

"In all likelihood it won't benefit myself, but further down the line for other people who might find themselves in this position, if there's a bit more investment, development and knowledge around treatment, other people may reap the benefits of that."

For those keen to learn more or contribute, James's JustGiving page is available here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-greenwood-1723139433284.