A university lecturer who became "short-tempered and forgetful" discovered his sudden personality change was caused by a brain tumour.
Richard West "loved" his job as a marketing and communications lecturer at the University of Westminster in London.
But when the 65-year-old returned to the classroom following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, he revealed he "lost all enthusiasm."
Richard said he became more depressed, short-tempered, antisocial, and so forgetful he "couldn't remember a single trip" he'd ever taken with his partner of 12 years, Tina, 66.
Concerned that it was something serious, Richard visited his GP and was told he had 'lockdown depression'.
However, a year later, an MRI scan at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in High Wycombe confirmed he had meningioma - a non-cancerous brain tumour- and he underwent emergency surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford that same month.
Doctors were unable to remove the tumour completely as it was close to vital centres.
In January 2024, Richard had a check-up MRI and was told the residual tumour had grown a couple of millimetres.
Although he remains in a "stable condition", Richard has begun a six-week course of radiotherapy to keep the cancer at bay - and in January next year, he hopes to host a music event to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research.
Richard, who now works part-time, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said: "Having survived prostate cancer in 2020, to be diagnosed with a brain tumour and to have had a stroke, I feel like I shouldn't be alive - but here I am.
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Richard West, after the operation.(Image: Brain Tumour Research Charity / SWNS)
"A brain tumour diagnosis is a horrible thing to go through. It's completely changed my outlook on life - and I'm more accepting of things and tolerant.
"Now I want to raise awareness of brain tumours. To bring it to the attention of more people so that we can drive investment towards research into the disease."
Richard visited his GP in 2021 following a series of personality changes and was told he had 'lockdown depression.'
He said: "Deep down, I knew something wasn't right.
"I'd been a lecturer in London for more than two decades, and although I loved my job, I returned with no enthusiasm.
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Richard West, after his Meningioma operation in 2022.(Image: Brain Tumour Research Charity / SWNS)
"My GP was sympathetic but thought I was one of the scores of patients suffering from 'lockdown depression'."
Richard was prescribed anti-anxiety medication and was "dismissed" to deal with his symptoms.
However, things didn't improve and he had suffered a "psychological breakdown" just before the start of a new term.
"I couldn't face the pressures and mentally, I simply couldn't function," he said.
"Things got worse and more obvious when I was out with my partner, Tina, one evening and we got talking about holidays.
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"Suddenly, I couldn't recall a single trip we'd ever taken. It was a very scary moment."
Shortly after, in June 2022, Richard was referred to a stroke clinic in Queen Elizabeth Hospital for an MRI scan.
He was diagnosed with a grade 1 meningioma - a non-cancerous brain tumour - on his frontal lobe.
Meningioma is the most common form of adult primary brain tumour that develops in the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord - with the five-year survival rate for grade I meningiomas being approximately 85-95 per cent.
"But also I felt a mixture of feelings, including relief that there was something that could explain the way I'd been acting.
"All I could think of was 'how long have I got?'"
Richard underwent an eight-hour-long operation to remove the growth at John Radcliffe Hospital.
Although successful, surgeons explained the tumour was close to vital centres and "couldn't be fully removed."
Two years later, Richard received the "devastating" news that the tumour had grown a couple of millimetres.
"After surgery, I immediately felt better," he recalled.
"The pain and stiffness in my muscles and joints went away.
"I could walk, run, go to the gym and it was like having a new life."
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He added: "I returned to the hospital in January 2024 for a check-up MRI after I had an 'episode'.
"The vision in my right eye became blurred and I couldn't read or make sense of words.
"We made it to the MRI centre and doctors explained what had happened."
Richard has now been prescribed a six-week course of radiotherapy and the tumour is stable.
He said: "As frightening as my diagnosis was, it was a relief to understand what had been causing my symptoms.
"And I've come to learn that brain tumours can be complex and they often come with side effects.
"When I found out about Brain Tumour Research, I instantly clicked with their vision and the fantastic work they do behind the scenes to find kinder treatments for brain tumour patients," he said.
In January 2026, he aims to host a music event to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research Charity.
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "We're grateful to Richard for his ongoing commitment to supporting Brain Tumour Research.
"Unfortunately, his story is not uncommon.
"One in three people knows someone affected by a brain tumour.
"And they are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age."
To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Richard's Walk of Hope visit: www.justgiving.com/page/richard-west-walk-of-hope-2025