Many of us overlook symptoms we’re experiencing as we tell ourselves it can’t be serious. However, getting checked out could save your life.
And to encourage others not to wave off potential warning signs, a man is sharing his story after being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma aged just 21.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, also known as cancer of the lymphatic system, is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells.
A common symptom is a painless swelling in a lymph node – but there are other signs that people tend to overlook. These include night sweats, unintentional weight loss, a high temperature, feelings or breathlessness and itching all over the body.
These can be ignored because people might mistake them for signs of stress or tiredness – but they could actually indicate something much more serious.
On his @ChemoPump TikTok page, the cancer patient described his journey.
The 22-year-old, from New Jersey in the US, noted he would often get a runny nose, chronic neck and back pain and kept “throwing up for no reason”.
What’s more, he was battling fatigue, a “horrible stomach pain and diarrhoea” and “shaky knees”. These symptoms felt quite “extreme” and abnormal, which is when you should book an appointment with your doctor.
However, the young man was only diagnosed after going to hospital for stomach pain. Following the appointment, he was told they’d found a “5cm mass” in his colon that could potentially be cancer.
A petscan and colonoscopy confirmed the heartbreaking news – he had stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The young man went through eight rounds of chemotherapy and is now cancer free. He hopes sharing his story will help others.
He said: “As hard as this has been, this experience has changed me forever. I hope I can inspire you. Keep fighting.”
Always see a GP if you are experiencing cancer symptoms. The NHS also recommends booking an appointment if you have swollen glands that don’t go away after six weeks.
It adds: “While these symptoms are unlikely to be caused by non-Hodgkin lymphoma, it’s best to get them checked out.”