Her Itchy Legs And Fatigue Were Warning Signs Of Rare Cancer, But Doctors ‘Dismissed' Them
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A CT scan revealed that Emma Simms has an 8 cm tumour in her chest, some of which had spread to her right lung.
A woman in the UK was struggling with exhaustion, itchy legs and weight loss for years. She was diagnosed with cancer after her symptoms were initially 'dismissed" by the doctors. Emma Simms, a 32-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, 'knew for years" that something was wrong, but she was repeatedly assured by doctors that she was fine.
According to Bristol Live, Emma had been feeling fatigued and dealing with persistent itching on her legs, but her condition didn't improve. 'I was turned away three times by my GP and even ended up in A&E," Emma said.
Despite undergoing blood tests and being reassured that she didn't have lymphoma, her symptoms continued to worsen. One doctor even assured her, 'You don't have leukemia, you don't have lymphoma. Everything's come back great."
It wasn't until December last year that Emma was referred to the haematology department at Churchill Hospital in Oxford. There, a CT scan revealed the shocking truth: an 8 cm tumour in her chest, some of which had spread to her right lung. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a rare blood cancer.
'I was told over the phone a couple of weeks before the biopsy confirmed it, so I had a bit of time to get my head around it," Emma said. Still, seeing the scan and being faced with the reality of her condition left her shaken. 'How did this happen? How was it missed for so long?" she wondered.
Before her diagnosis, Emma had been working for a tech marketing platform based in New Zealand. Exhausted all the time, she didn't have many hobbies. 'I didn't realise it was the cancer making me feel this way. Now that I know, I'm excited to change that."
Her treatment began with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. 'It was terrifying, but given how big the tumour was, I wanted to go in hard. I've just finished my second cycle, and if things look promising on my next scan, I'll be able to switch to a different chemo regimen called ABVD," Emma said.
But the treatment came with challenges as Emma has been dealing with side effects like severe bone pain from injections, vomiting and weight gain due to steroids. Still, she remained resilient and even embraced the loss of her hair. 'I thought I'd wear my wig constantly, but I mostly just go bald now or wear a hat," she said.
Emma has found a supportive community on TikTok where she shares her journey openly. 'Talking about my journey has connected me with so many amazing people. It really helps me feel less alone," she said. Her partner, Calvin, has been her biggest support. 'He's been incredible. I don't know how I'd manage without him."
According to the Mayo Clinic, Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system that helps fight infections. It starts when healthy cells in the lymphatic system grow uncontrollably.
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