A woman has shared the three important symptoms she overlooked before being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
Georgie Swallow, a content creator from London, UK, was just 28 when she learned the heartbreaking news that she had stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma and would no longer be able to have children due to the early menopause caused by cancer treatment.
She admitted that she ignored several warning signs for about a year and a half, attributing them to fatigue and stress.
It wasn’t until doctors gave her the diagnosis that she fully understood the gravity of her illness.
She shared, “After being off work for two weeks due to a severe flu, I returned to the office and, while sitting at my desk, noticed a lump the size of a peach on the side of my neck.”
“At that point, I wasn’t overly concerned because I never imagined there could be anything seriously wrong with me, which was naïve.”
Georgie admitted that she felt like she was “wasting everyone’s time” during her doctor visits and dismissed her symptoms.
Now 32, Georgie revealed how cancer and its intense treatments have affected both her physical and mental health. In an effort to help others, she’s sharing the three main signs of lymphoma she ignored at the time.
The three symptoms that troubled her most were itchy legs, night sweats, and overwhelming fatigue.
She explained, “I would scratch until my skin broke, keeping me awake all night. I went to the doctor, and they thought it was stress, allergies, or urticaria, but no cream or lifestyle change helped.”
“During this period, I was losing weight, dealing with night sweats, constantly exhausted, and battling a never-ending cycle of colds and flus. I just thought I was overworking myself and burning out.”
She explained that the symptoms of lymphoma can often be subtle, which is why the cancer is frequently diagnosed so late. “You can easily dismiss the symptoms as something else,” she noted.
As an additional complication, Georgie experienced early menopause, which she described as feeling like she’d been “hit by a bus.”
She shared, “Cancer can take a lot from you, but losing my fertility before I had the chance to have children was particularly tough.”
“The menopause can be challenging at any age, but being 28 and having no one my age to talk to about it made it even harder.”
“None of my friends could fully grasp what I was going through. Even though they were supportive, it’s difficult to comfort someone when you don’t truly understand their experience.”
Georgie is now focused on raising awareness about the key symptoms of lymphoma and the mental health challenges that early menopause can bring.