'Doctors said it was a New Year's Eve hangover - now one touch to my head could kill me'

A British man abroad battling a severe headache after celebrating the Thai new year was initially told by doctors he had a hangover - but ultimately required brain surgery . Michael Batten, 36, believed he was experiencing his first-ever migraine when he awoke vomiting and feeling 'extremely dizzy' on April 14. After struggling to breathe, he went immediately to a local hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but doctors assumed he was simply hungover and sent him home with paracetamol and ibuprofen. Michael, a teacher, said: "They kind of downplayed it – 'you'd had a few drinks'. But I didn't even drink that much, I was home by 10pm. "They were like 'you might be hungover', but I said 'I'm not hungover, something is wrong with me." He was sent home the next day, but after three further days 'screaming in pain' he opted to visit a different hospital, the private Chiangmai Ram hospital, at 5am on Friday. There, he underwent a CT scan and a nurse delivered some shocking news . He said: "I fell asleep because it was so early, and a nurse woke me up and shook me and said 'you have a brain tumour' and walked away. I thought I was dying, then they said 'we're going to do an MRI to find out if it's benign or cancerous'." Following the MRI, doctors revealed they had 'good news and bad news' - Michael didn't have a tumour, but he'd suffered an ischemic stroke, and had a 4.5cm shadow at the back of his brain. For Michael and his family, the situation felt devastatingly familiar. He said: "In 2020, I got a random phone call in the morning from my sister saying my dad had a stroke and he'd passed away randomly. As you can imagine, my family must have been thinking very similar things were about to happen." Michael, who relocated to Thailand from Lightwater, Surrey in 2019, was urgently taken to theatre for a craniotomy – a procedure where surgeons remove part of the skull – as his brain was dangerously swelling. He recalls doctors explaining that part of his brain "fell out to breathe" after the removal. Upon regaining consciousness, Michael couldn't recognise anyone around him and it took several days before he could speak again. While he can now think and communicate normally, and has managed to walk once more, he's been left with brain damage impacting his motor skills, co-ordination, and sense of direction – complications likely to affect him permanently. This may prevent him from returning to his regular pursuits, which include playing seven-a-side football and coaching basketball at his school. With part of his skull still missing, Michael explains he's been warned that any blow to his head could prove fatal. He said: "I personally want to recover the best I can, hopefully the back of my head heals so I can play sport without worrying. "I can't header the ball – I don't know if I'll ever be allowed to header the ball. I want to recover the best I can so I can go back as close as I can to the way my life was." Now he faces the prospect of a staggering £16,000 medical bill after his insurer suggested he 'settle the expense directly with the hospital' while it examines his medical records. Michael claims the hospital is holding his passport to 'ransom' over his outstanding bill, leaving him uncertain whether he'll be able to visit his mother in the UK later this year. A GoFundMe page set up by a friend to support him has already raised in excess of £10,000 in donations at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-michael-batten-recover-from-brain-surgery . Michael said: "I want people abroad, anyone in a position similar to mine, where the insurance are being difficult, I would like them to ask for help. We're a good community out here, and I don't want anyone having to do this on their own. "People care about people, so I would really hope that people are aware – look into your insurance, because maybe you're not as covered as you think. But also if something does happen, ask for help."