A “party-loving” 23-year-old who thought she had been struggling with symptoms of an alcohol allergy for nine months actually had cancer.
Izzy Fletcher, from Derby, developed a ‘splitting’ headache and chest pain after drinking an alcoholic drink last March.
The event coordinator, who assumed she was allergic to a component of her drink or that her symptoms were psychological, finally sought medical attention in December after developing a persistent cough.
Tests revealed she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma – an aggressive cancer that affects part of the immune system.
Ms Fletcher, who says she has “always loved to party”, started chemotherapy this week and hopes to make a full recovery. She urges others with irregular symptoms to make an appointment with their GP.
Derby’s Izzy Fletcher suffered from ‘splitting’ headaches and chest pains every time she had an alcoholic drink last March
The events coordinator, who assumed she was allergic to a component of her drink or her symptoms were psychological, finally saw a doctor in December after developing an incessant cough
Last March, Ms Fletcher developed a headache that felt like it would ‘explode’ every time she drank a glass of wine.
She would also suffer from breast enlargement.
“I got something to drink, I think it was a glass of wine or something. I started drinking it and had what started as a raging headache. It was really strange,” she said.
Mrs Fletcher was confused, although she may have developed an alcohol allergy or her symptoms were psychological.
To help control the headache, she tried different types of alcohol to see if she was allergic to a particular ingredient.
She also started drinking more in one night – and claims that consuming various alcoholic beverages seems to help clear up the condition.
Ms Fletcher said: “When I went out knowing I was going to drink heavily, the pain went away as soon as I started drinking more.
So everyone encouraged me to drink more.
“My boyfriend always told me it was just psychological and that if I [don’t] think about it, it won’t happen. And then you think: “Am I going crazy?”.
“You try to hold onto it with that little psychological voice in your head that’s like, ‘It’s okay now — hurry up, forget it’.”
Nine months after she first noticed the unusual symptoms, she visited Southampton University Hospital in December after developing a persistent cough.
After extensive testing, Ms Fletcher was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January.
The cancer, which diagnoses just 2,100 Britons and 9,000 Americans each year, develops in the lymphatic system – a network of blood vessels and glands distributed throughout the body and part of the immune system.
The most common symptom is painless swelling of a lymph node – usually in the neck, armpit or groin. Sufferers also typically experience night sweats, unintentional weight loss and persistent coughing.
But it can also cause headaches and chest pain, and studies have shown that “alcohol-induced pain” is a lesser-known side effect of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Despite the disheartening diagnosis, Ms Fletcher said she explained her symptoms, which was a “relief” now that she knew she was “not going crazy”.
“Thought the doctor [the headaches and chest pain were] nothing to do with it [the cough]. And when they realized it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma, they realized it was related,” Ms Fletcher said.
She said doctors told her that alcohol “excites the lymph nodes” and can cause pain, with the reaction believed to be related to alcohol’s high sugar content.
Ms Fletcher said she has always loved to party, but admits a glass of schnapps isn’t always worth the immediate pain these days.
Tests revealed she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma – an aggressive cancer that affects part of the immune system
Ms Fletcher, who says she has “always loved to party”, started chemotherapy this week and hopes to make a full recovery
She encourages others with irregular ailments to make an appointment to see a doctor
Ms Fletcher said: “The main thing I’ve learned from this is that if you’re worried about something, you just get it checked out.”
Despite a “consuming” fear of her diagnosis, the unsuspecting cancer victim tries to keep a positive attitude.
Ms Fletcher started chemotherapy yesterday and hopes for a full recovery.
The cancer can usually be cured with chemotherapy alone or with chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. Nine out of ten people survive at least five years after a stage one or stage two diagnosis.
Ms Fletcher is urging anyone experiencing unexplained symptoms to see their GP.
Ms Fletcher said: “The main thing I’ve learned from this is that if you’re worried about something, you just have to get it checked out.
“As a 23-year-old you don’t really think, ‘Oh, I better get checked out by my GP’.”
“Obviously you don’t expect it to be anything serious and of course you never expect to get cancer at 23.
“I think your thoughts automatically turn to your family, friends and those you love.
“You feel guilty: you can’t control it, you can’t help it, but your family will depend on your health for their happiness over the next six months.
She added: “I’ve never struggled with fear in my life, but the fear I felt before [few] The past few weeks have been just crazy.
“I can’t actually eat anything, I can’t think of anything else. I think it’s pretty much used up.
“If I feel like it, I’ll have another one, you just have to take it day by day.”
“But sometimes you know that if you’re not doing tequila shots all night, the pain just isn’t worth it.”
“It’s strange because I’ve always been a big drinker and I’ve always loved to party.
“Now my treatment consists of six months of chemo. In terms of curability and survival, it has a very, very high success rate.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
