Frankie Bridge, the 36-year-old star from *The Saturdays*, 

recently opened up about a health scare that left her in shock. 

After undergoing an MRI scan due to persistent headaches, she was stunned to discover that she had a benign tumour in her neck. 

Although the diagnosis was ultimately not as serious as she had feared, Frankie admitted that it “knocked her sideways” and initially led her to believe the worst.

The health scare, which occurred last year, made Frankie reevaluate her approach to life. 

In an emotional Instagram post on her birthday, she reflected on the unexpected turn of events. 

She explained how the tumour was discovered after she finally sought medical help for her daily headaches. “They discovered a tumour in my neck. The call knocked me sideways. They had no idea what it was at the time, and I obviously thought the worst,” she wrote.

As Frankie processed the news, she was overwhelmed with guilt for not seeking medical advice sooner. “I was so angry at myself for not going to the doctors sooner,” she confessed. “I was convinced I was now dying and I probably could have done something to avoid it. Luckily for me, that wasn’t the case.”

The tumour, identified as a benign subependymoma, is extremely rare and unrelated to the headaches that had prompted Frankie to seek medical attention in the first place. It grows on her spinal cord and extends down her neck. Doctors have chosen not to remove it for the time being, opting instead to monitor it for any changes.

Reflecting on the experience, Frankie realized how much she had taken her health for granted. “It made me realise that things can be happening within my body and I’d have no idea. This thing has been growing there for probably my whole life,” she shared. “There’s so many other things that could be doing exactly the same and I could have avoided them.”

The health scare also made Frankie more aware of the toll that stress was taking on her body. She revealed that her headaches were actually a result of stress, as well as other ongoing issues like gut problems. “We know many cancers and illnesses can be exacerbated or brought on by stress, yet every time a doctor tells me to find the time to ‘manage my stress,’ I just laugh,” she wrote. “I have depression, anxiety, two kids, a husband, a job, and many other factors of my life that like everyone create stress. Stress is just a part of my everyday life.”

In addition to her health challenges, Frankie discussed the mental and emotional burden of her condition. When she received the diagnosis, her husband, Wayne Bridge, was away, and she was left alone with their two sons, Parker, nine, and Carter, seven. “I was in the middle of cooking the boys’ dinner when the doctor called,” she recalled. “Instantly I thought, ‘That’s it, this is my time. I’m going to be sick.’ I went straight to, ‘Oh God, I’m gonna die.’”

Despite the terrifying news, Frankie managed to get through the difficult week without telling her children or friends, choosing to process the information privately. “I kind of breezed through the week,” she said. “Luckily for me, it’s really rare, and they only found it because they were scanning me for my headaches.”

Since the diagnosis, Frankie has made efforts to address the physical and emotional symptoms that led to her health scare. She previously spoke about suffering from muscle tension in her neck and jaw, which caused chronic headaches. To alleviate the tension, she sought muscle relaxer injections and shared her experience with her followers. “I was definitely nervous. Can you tell? But I couldn’t actually feel anything! Phew! I’ll let you know if it helps!”

Now, with her health scare behind her, Frankie is focused on making positive changes in her life. She discussed her desire to embrace the “1% theory,” where she will stop expecting perfection from herself at all times. “I expect myself to be 100% at all times, at all things,” she said. “Even though I’ve always known this is impossible, it hasn’t stopped me from trying and then punishing myself every day that I haven’t succeeded. And to be honest with you, I’ve had enough. It doesn’t work for me, or for anyone else in my life.”

Frankie’s candid reflections on her health scare and her approach to life moving forward have struck a chord with her fans, reminding them of the importance of prioritizing self-care and managing stress. Although the discovery of the tumour was a frightening and unexpected event, it has ultimately inspired Frankie to approach life with a new perspective—one that is more focused on balance and self-acceptance.

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