A doctor's order for a scan led to the discovery of stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in a college student. Her doctor believed she only had swollen lymph nodes, while she thought the tiredness she felt was due to a hangover.
Symptoms Felt Before Being Diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer
After a night of partying with her friends, the 21-year-old student, Molly Hunt, felt sick. She claimed that after going out and drinking quite a bit, she experienced severe abdominal pain the following day. She had the impression that she needed to stiffen up her entire body to get the agony to go away. She said it was a strange discomfort. She came to the conclusion that her body couldn't tolerate booze as well as she formerly did.
According to The Sun, Hunt said that she was attending lectures less and less regularly because she was so exhausted. She occasionally woke up around 1 p.m. despite going to bed at 10 p.m. She also found it difficult to concentrate on many tasks because she really feel tired.
Hunt soon cut back on the number of times she went out with her college friend since she knew she would feel terrible the following day. Four months after she first started experiencing symptoms, she discovered a lump on her collarbone and her skin started to itch.
Then she detected a tumor the size of two grapes on her collarbone in February 2022. She sought medical attention and later learned she had stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma.
She remembered in her TikTok how the lump on her neck was initially thought by her doctors to be the result of swollen lymph nodes brought on by glandular fever. The lump had grown by the time she returned to the doctors in March, so they decided to send her for a scan.
After the scan, they opted to perform a biopsy since the mass was too large and her neck was beginning to develop lumps.
Hunt was referred for a two-week cancer ultrasound after her lump failed to disappear. On May 3, doctors discovered a second lump and carried out a biopsy. On June 1, Hunt received her cancer diagnosis, which she described as the toughest thing she has ever heard in her life. Additionally, an 8 cm tumor in her chest was discovered.
She began receiving chemotherapy on June 20 and, as of this month, has been in remission. She only needed five of the 12 chemotherapy rounds that were initially planned for her.
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What is Hodgkin Lymphoma?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Hodgkin lymphoma is a lymphatic system cancer in which the white blood cells known as lymphocytes overgrow. This results in enlarged lymph nodes and growth all over the body.
Lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin may enlarge painlessly as a sign of Hodgkin lymphoma. After consuming alcohol, you may also experience pain in the lymph node. Other symptoms include fever, night sweats, and intense itching. You may also notice weight loss even if you're not on a diet.
The exact cause of Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown. Doctors only know that it starts when DNA modifications take place in the infection-fighting white blood cells lymphocytes.
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