Doc saw lump in my armpit while I cut her hair – I was shocked when it turned out to be cancer, says Dublin hairdresser
A HAIRDRESSER was diagnosed with cancer after a doctor client noticed a 'lump' in her armpit during a trim - despite her having no symptoms.
Shona Joyce, 22, from Tallaght in
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Shona Joyce was diagnosed with Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma
Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
The client, Dr Laura, told Shona to get it checked out, so she booked an appointment at the
Shona and Dr Laura had been talking about a
Shona said: "We were talking about that and what a great thing it was to remind people of.
"I didn't know at this point she was a doctor - we then got into talking about contraception and eventually onto lumps.
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"She lost me a bit and she said 'don't tell me you have a lump?'
"I said 'no but when I was trying on a dress I noticed one armpit looked a bit different to the other'.
"After having a look, she said I needed to get it checked for peace of mind and she booked me in the next day - she happened to work at the clinic I go to.
"I went the next day and once they felt it and took my bloods, they sent me to hospital."
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Doctors at St James' carried out an ultrasound and biopsy, and 10 weeks later, Shona was diagnosed with nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma - a
She underwent surgery to have the lymph node removed on August 16, 2024.
When Zee was struck by 'extreme tiredness' she blamed work - but a silent killer was ravaging her insides and there was just one subtle clue
Then in October 2024, she started eight rounds and three months of intense chemotherapy.
Shona was then told that she was in remission but would need scans every few months to monitor for any growth.
Shona, a hairdresser said: 'When they told me I had cancer, it was a shock, but I had the mindset that I knew that I would go through it.
'Going to the hospital for the first time shocked me, as I recently turned 21.
"Everything was good in my life. I would go to the gym, I was looking forward to a holiday, I qualified as a hairdresser, and I was the busiest I've ever been.
'I would work five to six days a week. I had a busy job, and that is why the doctors couldn't understand.'
After her client recommended that she get checked out, Shona went to Glenview Clinic in Tallaght, who immediately referred her to get an ultrasound at St James's Hospital, Dublin.
After the ultrasound, doctors were concerned after finding a lump, and they then carried out a biopsy.
THE DIAGNOSIS
Just 10 weeks later, Shona was diagnosed with Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma - a cancer of the immune system.
Shona said: 'I'm a really positive person, but it was a shock for everyone, and I couldn't have gone through it without my amazing family and friends.
'I do have such a good circle behind me. My auntie took me out for coffees, my mum came with me for every Chemo, and a nurse and family friend, Orla, came up every night for 14 nights to do the injections, who was a lifesaver.
'Everyone chipped in, and I never dwelled on the diagnosis too much. My mindset was that I was going to keep going no matter what.'
Doctors told Shona that she would need lymphadenectomy surgery - to have the lymph node removed - followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy.
TREATMENT
Shona said: 'Because I'm so small and the treatments were so strong, it took me back.
'I want people to get checked out; it is so important to do so.
'As I was so young, they said if it wasn't caught when it did, it would've been terminal.'
After eight rounds of chemotherapy, Shona had a PET/CT scan to check if the chemotherapy had worked.
On February 11, 2025, Shona was told that she was in remission but would need PET scans every few months to monitor for any growth.
Shona said: 'When they announced I was in remission, I felt an enormous sense of relief.
'I'm slowly going back to work, and I have a few things planned for coming up, which I'm looking forward to.
'I'm trying to raise as much awareness as possible and hopefully save someone's life the way that doctor saved my life.'
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Shona Joyce had no symptoms when she found out she had cancer
Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
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