## Estate Agent Mistakes Shoulder Pain for Trapped Nerve, Discovers Life-Threatening Brain Tumour
A 33-year-old estate agent from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, is urging others not to ignore persistent health symptoms after discovering that what he thought was merely a trapped nerve in his shoulder was actually a sizeable brain tumour. Daniel Jones, who experienced severe shoulder and back pain, eventually received a diagnosis that changed the course of his life.
Daniel’s ordeal began in September 2024, when he was jolted awake by sharp pain searing through his left shoulder and the left side of his back. Assuming it was no more than a trapped nerve, he initially dismissed the pain, resorting to standard painkillers. However, the agony steadily worsened over the ensuing weeks, and Daniel began to suffer a series of troubling symptoms far beyond musculoskeletal discomfort.
“I was in constant pain, and the only bit of comfort was when I lifted my arm above my head,” Daniel recounted. He described days where the symptoms seemed manageable, only for them to return with severe intensity the next. Along with growing discomfort, Daniel started to experience problems with his vision, regular bouts of sickness, significant fatigue, and difficulties maintaining his balance.
Between October and December 2024, Daniel sought medical attention on eight separate occasions. Initially, his GP prescribed him Co-codamol to manage the pain and Diazepam to help with posture. Early assumptions by his doctors revolved around the idea of a trapped nerve or perhaps a muscular strain, a common misdiagnosis given the initial localisation of Daniel’s pain.
Routine blood tests, an ECG, and even a chest x-ray failed to identify the root of the problem. Each test yielded unremarkable results, with nothing to suggest the gravity of what was developing. Nonetheless, Daniel says he remained hopeful that doctors would eventually find an answer: “I just hoped they found something because each time, I have been in so much pain. I had really strong painkillers and was even on travel sickness tablets.”
As his symptoms persisted and began to intensify, Daniel’s daily life grew increasingly challenging. He would wake up with severe headaches and felt “extremely tired, to the point where it was difficult to get through each day.” The pressure in his head became unbearable, and he even believes he experienced minor seizures. By mid-November, Daniel’s eyesight became intermittently blurred, a concern that finally prompted doctors to refer him for an urgent CT scan.
It was a CT scan at his local hospital on 13 December that ultimately revealed the cause of his distress: a 6cm by 3cm grade 1 hemangioblastoma – a rare, benign tumour, pressing on his brain and obstructing the flow of fluid. Within just an hour of his scan, his doctor called him and urged him to go straight to A&E for the full results.
Recalling the moment he learned the awful news, Daniel said: “I knew it must be something bad because they called so quickly. At hospital, they explained I had a brain tumour and I would need emergency surgery at Cardiff University Hospital.” The shocking discovery revealed that the tumour had created a blockage, preventing spinal fluid from draining, resulting in dangerous pressure inside Daniel’s skull.
Following his operation, Daniel said he was “itching to leave hospital” and described a profound sense of relief. “When I woke up from the treatment, all my symptoms had gone. I was full of life again—my balance returned, and a huge weight was lifted.” Nonetheless, he admitted that the experience had left him “very health-conscious”, vowing never to dismiss such symptoms again.
Daniel praised the NHS staff who supported him throughout his treatment, declaring: “They literally saved my life.” Now on the mend, he wishes to raise awareness about the importance of persisting with medical concerns that are not easily explained. His experience is a powerful reminder that persistent, unexplained symptoms warrant further investigation and that early action can be lifesaving.