Rebecca Dorman ignored lymph nodes swelling and popped painkillers due to her heavy-sized E-cup breasts after intense backache for almost two years
A 33-year-old British woman who for years thought her recurring back pain was due to her big breasts and self-medicated with painkillers was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
Rebecca Dorman said she popped paracetamol and ibuprofen due to her heavy-sized E-cup breasts for almost two years. But she finally went to a doctor when she began experiencing unbearable itching on her legs and feet and found swollen lymph nodes in her neck and groin.
The mother-of-two claims it was only after repeat visits and tests over the ensuing months that she was finally diagnosed with stage four classical Hodgkin lymphoma. She began chemotherapy right away and will be having treatment until March this year.
Rebecca says she ignored her symptoms for a long time and is now urging people not to follow her example. Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system. It's characterised by the abnormal growth of B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, in the lymph nodes.
"In the beginning, the back pain would keep me up at night. I would have chills with it as well, but I thought that was my back going into spasm. It's actually a completely separate symptom. I thought having a larger chest could have been behind it,” she told The Sun.
Rebecca said last year she became extremely unwell and had to be admitted to the hospital for 26 nights - during which she had an excisional biopsy on her neck that led to her official diagnosis of cancer. "I was in the shower washing myself and that's when I discovered a swollen area in my groin which is where I was getting a lot of pain as well. Before that I just had the itching, the back pain, and the fevers, but having the swollen lymph node as well was what actually made me go to the GP,” she said.
What is Hodgkin lymphoma?
According to doctors, Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that affects the lymphatic system—the network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. It develops at any age, but it mostly affects people between 20 and 40 years of age and those over 75.
Signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma
The most common symptoms are painless swollen lymph nodes in your neck, underarms, or groin. Here are some other signs you need to watch o:
Persistent fatigue
This is feeling much more tired than usual for at least several days.
Unexplained fever
A fever that stays for a few days and does not come down is a sign of a serious problem.
Night sweats
If your sweating is so intense it drenches your sheets, you need to take this seriously.
Unexplained weight loss
If you are losing body weight without trying, 10 per cent of total body weight over six months is a sign of unexplained weight loss.
Itchy skin
Also known as pruritis, some people with Hodgkin lymphoma have very itchy skin after drinking alcohol or taking a bath.
Abdominal pain and swelling
Even though not all belly pain is a sign of serious illness, if it becomes recurrent you need to show it to a doctor.
Chest pain
It is one of the clearest signs of Hodgkin lymphoma
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