Getting a stage 4 cancer diagnosis is something that nobody wishes for themselves or their loved ones. To help prevent this, it’s really important to have regular health checkups.
But besides those checkups, doing self-exams is also crucial. This means being aware of any signs that might indicate a problem.
Keep reading to find out about some warning signs you should pay attention to.
Georgie Swallow, a content creator from the UK, is working to raise awareness about Hodgkin lymphoma. This type of cancer affects the lymphatic system, which is part of our immune system. Georgie wants to share some signs that could be concerning, which she experienced herself.
She was diagnosed when she was just 28 years old. Because of her cancer treatment, she went into early menopause and missed the chance to have children.
The symptoms she wants to highlight are ones she overlooked, thinking they were just due to stress. She believed that visiting a doctor would be “wasting everyone’s time,” even when she noticed a lump on the side of her neck.
Swallow is now 32 years old and has opened up about how her cancer affected not just her body but also her mind. She had three symptoms that she overlooked: itchy legs, night sweats, and feeling really tired all the time.
“I would scratch my legs until they bled, which kept me awake at night. When I went to the doctor, they thought it might be stress, allergies, or something called urticaria, but no cream or changes in my routine helped,” she explained.
“During that time, I was losing weight, having night sweats, feeling super tired, and catching colds and flus all the time. I just figured I was too busy and wearing myself out.”
She wants to bring attention to these symptoms because many people might dismiss them as unimportant. But ignoring them could mean a delay in getting a cancer diagnosis.
She described her early menopause as feeling like “being hit by a bus.”
“Cancer can take quite a lot away from you but losing my fertility before I’d had a chance to have children was difficult,” she shared.
Menopause can be tough at any age, but when I was 28, I felt really alone because none of my friends were going through it. They tried to be supportive, but it’s hard for someone to truly understand what you’re feeling if they haven’t experienced it themselves.
I want to spread the word about these symptoms so that others can recognize them and maybe get a diagnosis sooner than I did.
Please share this with anyone who might find it helpful. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!