19-year-old with blood cancer reveals eight symptoms she noticed before diagnosis
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A teenager who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma has revealed the eight symptoms she suffered prior to her diagnosis.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is the network of vessels and glands in the body that form your immune system.
Sometimes, it can be easy to dismiss concerning symptoms as something else, especially anxiety, tiredness, or day-to-day stress.
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Evie, 19, was totally unaware that her symptoms could have been something serious, until she noticed a lump in her neck when she coughed.
Over on her TikTok, @evieskill, the teenager shared a video listing the symptoms she experienced prior to her diagnosis and urged others to seek help if they notice anything unusual within their bodies.
Tiredness
The first thing she listed was fatigue.
Evie explained that she was 'sleeping 24/7' and couldn't get through the day without a nap, despite sleeping well at night.
Repeated illness
Although Evie says she didn't pay too much notice at the time, she explained she was constantly unwell for months.
"I didn't take much notice because it only felt like a common cold, but it was consistent for six months before I realised I had been unwell for so long," she said.
"I had a sore throat/cough for months."
Itchy skin
Evie says she was 'going through body lotion like there's no tomorrow' after suffering from dry and itchy skin.
"I had overly irritated skin from scratching all the time," she explained.
Evie explained she was suffering from severe tiredness (Getty Stock Photo)
Weight fluctuations
Evie's weight would regularly fluctuate.
One moment she was gaining weight quickly, the next she was losing it rapidly, despite not changing her diet or lifestyle.
Vomiting
Evie said she began vomiting after food in the morning, but dismissed this as anxiety.
Alcohol tolerance
"I apologise to my friends for this one," Evie explained.
"I was extremely drunk after like one drink and constantly blacking out after every night out.
"I didn't realise this is a common symptom of lymphoma."
The NHS explains that in some cases, people with lymphoma have a pain in their lymph glands when they drink alcohol.
Lump in neck
When Evie discovered a grape-sized lump in her neck when she coughed, she sought medical advice, explaining: "It was under the skin and only appeared when I coughed.
"This was what made me see my GP and start wondering what was actually wrong with me.
"It turns out this lump was my swollen lymph node which was inflamed by the lymphoma."
Constant infections
Evie said she had a 'new throat or chest infection pretty much every week' due to her weak immune system.
"I was repeatedly given antibiotics and turned away at the GP... them saying it was just teenage stress and hormones [sic]."
Evie urged others to push for tests if they are experiencing similar symptoms, explaining: "I spent months being told I was just tired and stressed when in reality it was Hodgkin's lymphoma."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Lucy Devine