'I thought it was nothing' – man's brief headaches turned out to be a tumour

When Nico Archdale, 32, got out of bed every morning he was met with a sharp, shooting pain, that was over almost as soon as it had begun. "I started getting headaches ," he explains. "I'd wake up and, as soon as I sat up, I'd get this sudden, intense rush of pain through my head that lasted a few seconds. "It was sharp but very short-lived, and then I'd feel completely fine afterwards. Because they were so brief and I felt completely normal afterwards, it didn't seem like anything serious. It was easy to brush off and carry on with the day as usual." Nico an equine expert, from North Wales , says that ironically the headaches began just after he had committed to taking care of his health , "I was trying to be more consistent with my routine - staying active, eating well and generally taking better care of myself," he says, "Nothing extreme, just building good habits and staying in decent shape." But now, he is barely able to walk, after the headaches were eventually revealed to have a far more sinister cause. The headaches gradually increased in frequency, and eventually when they had lasted for three weeks on the trot, he sought medical advice. "Things like coughing, sneezing or even bending over would set them off. There wasn’t one dramatic moment when I realised there was a problem. "It was more a growing feeling that I shouldn't ignore it any longer. A neurologist arranged an emergency MRI scan just a couple of hours after examining me, which, looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful for. "I was asked to come into the hospital the next morning with my family, and that's when I was told it was brain cancer. It was a huge shock. "I'd gone from thinking it was something minor to suddenly being told it was a tumour - and not a small one. The tumour had grown to the size of a ping pong ball in my head which was squishing my brain to cause the headaches. It was one of those moments that doesn’t quite feel real." "I think I went into a bit of a survival mindset," he adds. The British bloodstock agent had to undergo surgery to remove the cancer, and is now completing a course of radiation therapy. Now living in South London's Clapham, he says he is lucky to have his family to rely on for support during the harrowing health scare. "We are extremely close," he explains. "I have tried to stay as strong as possible, especially for them, because it's a lot for them to deal with too. "Quite quickly I accepted that the diagnosis was something I couldn't change, so my focus became staying positive and doing everything I could to get through it." Just weeks after being diagnosed in early January, Nico went in for brain surgery on January 31. He is now having radiotherapy five days a week, and will be granted a short reprieve from the intense treatments before he is plunged into six months of chemotherapy. This has left him struggling to complete even the most basic daily tasks, a far cry from his active lifestyle before his diagnosis. "Hopefully after the chemotherapy I'll be out the other side of it," Nico says. "But physically, it's been a huge adjustment. "After surgery and during treatment, even simple things like walking are all I can really manage at the moment. Emotionally, it's been challenging in a different way. "I have a rare type of brain cancer, and it is not caused by anything. The doctors just said I am just very unlucky to have it. "It's a tough journey. And things are getting a lot harder as the treatment goes on and I get weaker and energy gets drained from me. "But I am trying to keep positive and too stay strong. It's a long road ahead still. Doing very little is actually far more mentally draining than I ever imagined. "Life is very different at the moment. My life has just been put on hold." He continues, "It’'s very frustrating being less active. "It's actually very mentally draining being able to do very little. I'm determined to try and continue with normal life as much as possible and keep seeing friends and family. "But unfortunately it's pretty limited with the small amount of energy I have. I'm trying to keep positive. At the same time, it's made me appreciate things more and really value the people around me. "The level of support from my family and friends has been incredible and overwhelming at times. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such amazing, caring people." Nico is keen to return to his job as soon as he is physically able to do so, and says that the horse racing community has been behind him 100 percent during the challenging period that sees him adjust to a new normal. "I hope to continue working as a bloodstock agent for the rest of my life. And hope to do whatever I can as soon as possible. "My colleagues and the racing community as a whole have been extremely supportive." The ambitious equine expert has set himself a major goal to keep working towards during his treatment, a Hyrox fitness challenge, which includes running and functional workout stations that are completed eight times. He is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support as he gets ready for the impress feat, which has already raised over £30,000. Nico says, "Having something like that to aim for gives me a reason to keep pushing forward, and hopefully show others they're not alone in this."