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14th August 2024
11:28am BST
Member of Belfast electronic duo Bicep Matt McBriar has revealed he has undergone surgery to remove a 'large and rare' brain tumour.
The producer said that surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumour found on his pituitary gland in his brain had been successfully removed on August 9.
In a post in Bicep's Instagram page, McBriar detailed his journey from when he first discovered the tumour.
"Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new," he wrote.
"I got several blood tests in spring 2024 which came back indicating that something was wrong, so my GP arranged an MRI followed by a CT scan.
"Unfortunately, they told me they had discovered a large, and pretty rare Craniopharyngioma tumour on my pituitary gland (in my brain). The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage."
McBriar said that he was lucky to get his tests and MRI when he did, or else he could have lost his eyesight due to the position of the tumour on his optic nerves.
He revealed that before his surgery, he went on playing shows to keep his mind busy.
"Recovery will be at least 6-8 weeks and a long road of aftercare but I’m feeling incredibly grateful and lucky," he continued.
He went on to thank "all the amazing consultants, surgeons, doctors and nurses at the NHS who have looked after me and been so amazing, kind and empathetic."
"The support I’ve received has been incredible, I can’t say this enough.
"Appointments were arranged with sometimes only hours’ notice and communication incredibly fast and direct.
He added: "Our healthcare system is very precious and worth fighting for!"
McBriar said that his Bicep co-member Andrew Ferguson will be performing upcoming shows solo while he recovers.
He finished off the post by saying: "Finally, a heartfelt thanks to my family, friends and work colleagues who have been my absolute rock through this behind the scenes."
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