One woman shared how night sweats and back pain for six months turned out to be signs that she was suffering from aggressive cancer.
Hannah Bird, from Bristol, also lost weight, developed a rash and constant cough and suffered back and chest pain.
The 24-year-old said she “went to the doctor three to four times a week” and was repeatedly discharged before finally being x-rayed and scanned.
Just weeks after her engagement, she was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – an aggressive cancer.
The travel content creator has had to put numerous vacations on hold, but is now cancer-free and touring bucket-list destinations.
Hannah Bird (above), 24, from Bristol also lost weight, developed a rash and constant cough and suffered back and chest pain
Hannah encourages people to get a second opinion if they are unhappy with the doctor’s diagnosis.
Hannah said: “You know it’s bad when they ask someone to sit with you while the doctors break the news to you.
“It wasn’t a shock – I was relieved to finally have a diagnosis. It only dawned on me when I started chemotherapy.
“I was devastated that I couldn’t travel; we had so many plans. We were looking for a house, but financially we were in a mess. Our lives have been destroyed for a year.”
For six months, Hannah suffered from night sweats, weight loss, skin rashes and a constant cough.
She was holidaying in Paris with her boyfriend Charlie Camper (23), a professional golfer, when he popped the question.
But she was so sick that she couldn’t fully enjoy it. Hannah said: “I felt so bad that day that I slept most of the time.
“Our engagement plans were ruined by my diagnosis. We didn’t have a normal engagement experience.’
Now that everything is clear, Hannah completes her bucket list of trips put on hold during her treatment and her first stop was Turkey
Hannah (left) was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – an aggressive cancer – just weeks after getting engaged to Charlie Camper (right).
Hannah (above) urges people to get a second opinion if they are dissatisfied with the doctor’s diagnosis
Hannah (above) suffered from night sweats, weight loss, rashes and a constant cough for six months
In March 2022, Hannah developed back and chest pain while skiing and later pneumonia.
Doctors gave Hannah an X-ray and CT scan upon her return, and she was told she had cancer the next day, April 1, 2022.
Hannah said: “The tumor was in my left lung – it took up three quarters of my lung.
“We found out I was in the fourth stage. I was so relieved that they found out what was wrong with me.’
Doctors initially thought Hannah had lung cancer, so they did a biopsy and three weeks later she was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Doctors (above) gave Hannah an X-ray and CT scan on her return, and the next day she was told she had cancer April 1, 2022
Doctors initially thought Hannah had lung cancer, so they did a biopsy and three weeks later she was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Hannah was enrolled in a clinical trial where she received immunotherapy, a non-chemo-invasive drug.
Instead of chemotherapy, this drug is less invasive, helping the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
She said: “By my mid-term scan my tumor had shrunk by 80 per cent.
“In September 2022, I finished chemotherapy and all the cancer was gone, which was not normal.
“I am the only person in the UK who has cured all her non-Hodgkin cancer with chemotherapy alone.”
Hannah was cleared to travel in October 2022 and will have a CT scan every 12 weeks to check for signs of cancer. In the photo: the couple in Turkey
The couple (above) will travel to the Philippines in May and then to Antarctica for their honeymoon in January 2024
Hannah said if you think something is wrong, get a referral or a second opinion from another doctor
Hannah was cleared to travel in October 2022 and will have a CT scan every 12 weeks to check for signs of cancer.
After not being able to travel for a year, Hannah and her boyfriend Charlie complete a travel bucket list.
Hannah is getting married on September 16, 2023.
Hannah said: “My partner said I could do one bucket list trip when I finished my immunotherapy, another when I finished my chemotherapy and another when the all clear.
“The first trip we took to Turkey was absolutely amazing and the second trip we took was to the Arctic Circle in January.
“It’s possible to have your bucket list, you can travel while going through treatment – you just have to plan ahead and make sure you’re close to hospitals in case something goes wrong.”
The couple will travel to the Philippines in May and to Antarctica in January 2024 for their honeymoon.
Counseling others with cancer symptoms, she said: “Get a second opinion. I went to the same doctor every time. I think if I had gone to a different doctor the diagnosis would have been made much sooner.
“I went to the doctor three to four times a week – I was so desperate.
“If you think something is wrong, get a referral or a second opinion from another doctor.”
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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.
