My £8k Turkey teeth saved my life, I only wanted a straighter smile but now I can never thank doctors enough

LISA Robinson, 44, a mental health nurse, lives in County Durham with her partner Michael, 56, a shift manager at a chemical plant, and daughters Jade, 24, and Leah, 18.

Here, she reveals how her Turkey teeth saved her life after losing her balance on her way to Turkish dental clinic.

“As I opened my eyes in intensive care, after an emergency 13-hour operation, the surgeon told me I was lucky to be alive. I reached up to touch my bandaged head and the words ‘fist-sized brain tumour’ came flooding back.

The doctors had said I only had a 25% chance of surviving the operation, so I took a deep breath and thanked my lucky stars I was still here.

Just days before, on June 24 of this year, I’d flown alone to Antalya, Turkey, for dental implants. But as I walked into the Magic Smile Turkey clinic, I lost my balance and fell backwards.

I was put in a taxi to the private Anadolu Hastanesi Hospital nearby, where doctors thought I was possessed, because my brown eyes had turned blue and began rolling in my head.

Up to that point, life had been great. I was a fit gym-goer, loved my job as a nurse and enjoyed spending time with my partner Michael and my two beautiful daughters.

I was due to start a new job, but first, I was finally fixing a life-long insecurity by getting my teeth done. There wasn’t anything ‘wrong’ with them, but I wanted them straighter and to have a nicer smile.

I’d seen great results from people on social media going to Turkey for dental treatment, so I flew there in February, paying £6,000 for veneers on my top teeth.

They also removed some of the bottom ones and replaced them with posts ready for the £2,000 implants, which would be done during a return trip in June, once my gums had healed.

Two weeks before that second visit, I started experiencing excruciating migraines, which my GP put down to the stress of leaving my job as a staff nurse.

Arriving at my hotel in Turkey, I went to bed at 11.30pm but woke at 3am, drenched in sweat. I rushed to the bathroom to tip cold water over myself. The next thing I knew, it was morning and I was lying in an empty bathtub – I must have fallen in and passed out.

As I staggered into the clinic later that day, I collapsed and was sent to hospital, where I underwent an MRI scan. By this stage, I was vomiting and screaming. 

The scan revealed I had a deadly 4.5cm glioblastoma brain tumour and a haemorrhage, requiring immediate surgery.

In my delirious state, I managed to share Michael’s phone number with the interpreter before the anaesthetic kicked in. He dropped everything to fly over, and when I saw him the following day, I burst into tears.

I stayed in intensive care for four days, before being transferred to the critical care unit. The surgeon was happy with the op results after removing the majority of the tumour and said it was incredible I was alive. 

Two weeks later, I was told by the hospital that my insurers had refused to pay out because I hadn’t declared that I’d sought help for headaches before travelling. I was asked to make a payment of £12,500 and told that the remaining balance of £45,000 was due by August 13, which was a huge shock. 

Returning to Newcastle Airport on July 13, I was taken straight to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where a consultant told me I had a grade 4 brain cancer. I couldn’t stop crying as I thought I was going to die. 

The cancer is aggressive and incurable, but it is treatable and we have a plan of action. I’m having five sessions of radiotherapy for three weeks and then chemotherapy in tablet form, so we’re remaining positive about my future. 

My sister Sharon set up a JustGiving page to help raise the money for my medical bills – it’s already reached nearly £23,000 – and we’ve also held sponsored walks, family fun days and raffles to collect as much as possible. 

I still need to find time for a trip to the dentist to get some better dentures for my bottom teeth, as they were never able to fit my implants. I’ll always be thankful to the surgeon in Turkey who saved my life and gave me this precious time with my family.”