Since she was 15, Georgia had been battling constant fatigue. Despite several medical consultations, no precise diagnosis had been made, explains The Mirror. Sleep tests, ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, nothing worked. The young woman thought she was suffering from narcolepsy, a sleeping illness, but doctors assured her that it was all linked to her age, as she was still growing. “I was told that this was normal for a teenager, that we would eventually find a solution“, she explained, “I thought it would get better with time.“
But in 2022, things have gotten worse. The young woman suffered froma cough that she couldn't get rid of and she felt increasing discomfort in her chest. Two symptoms that will push her to consult again. And this time, the tests revealed something much more serious. After several medical appointments and tests, Georgia learned that she was suffering fromHodgkin lymphoma, a rare type of cancer.
Hodgkin's lymphoma: signs that we too often neglect
Georgia is unfortunately not the only one to have experienced such a situation. A study carried out by the Teenage Cancer Trust shows that only 17% of young people aged 13 to 24 are able to recognize the five main signs of
cancer in young people.
After being diagnosed, the young woman realized that she should have paid attention to certain symptoms that many see as benign: unexplained weight loss and, above all,
discreet swelling in the neck which she had already observed several years before her diagnosis, without ever thinking of talking to her doctors about it.
“I should have been more vigilant, but cancer never crossed my mind“
“No one ever told me about the need to check lymph nodes or neck“, she emphasized, “We always talk about the need to check the breasts, but never other areas of the body.“The fact of having lost around 10 kilos in a few months, without really paying attention to it, is also one of those things that she regrets not having taken more seriously.”I should have been more vigilant, but cancer never crossed my mind.“
After being diagnosed, Georgia was quickly put on treatment. And after several months of chemotherapy, doctors announced to Georgia in May 2023 that she was in remission. “I'm so grateful to be in remission, but I know not everyone is as lucky“, she insisted, “It is essential that young people know that they should not underestimate their health, even when the symptoms seem harmless.“
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