Healthy young womans flu-like symptoms turned out to be cancer
Cancer Research UK provide details on lymphoma
Aussie Olivia Jennings, 20, believed she had the flu but, as the symptoms lingered and progressed, she knew she needed to see a doctor.
Originally diagnosed with a UTI (urinary tract infection), the medical label didn’t sit right with Olivia.
She had a cough that didn’t go away, and a lump had developed above her collarbone.
The next morning, having woken up in a cold sweat, Olivia decided to go to a private hospital.
The doctor pushed for Olivia to have an ultrasound, which came back clear, and a CT scan.
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That was when the healthy 20-year-old, who never smoked and barely drank alcohol, received the terrible news.
“[The doctor] said I don’t have a kidney stone, but I have swollen lymph nodes all throughout my stomach and fluid on my heart,” Olivia told the Daily Mail.
“It was in complete shock – when he mentioned my heart I thought, ‘That’s it for me. I’m going to die.’
“At that point, the doctors were pretty sure it was cancer.”
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Olivia spent another week undergoing further tests, including a biopsy, which confirmed the cancer was in her neck, chest, stomach, and pelvis.
On January 25, 2023, Olivia was diagnosed with stage 3B Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Cancer Research UK explains: “Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes.”
The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node.
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Symptoms can include:
- Heavy sweating, especially at night
- High temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause, often overnight
- Losing a lot of weight over a short period of time, despite eating well
- Itching, which may be worse after drinking alcohol
- Cough or shortness of breath
- Tummy (abdominal) pain or vomiting after drinking alcohol.
“It was a strange feeling,” Olivia said, reflecting back on her life-altering diagnosis.
Within the following week, Olivia started her rounds of chemotherapy.
Talking about her condition, she said: “It’s just one of those cancers where your body just messes up.”
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