This woman’s doctor reportedly ignored her ailments and said ‘laziness’ was the answer – but it turns out she had cancer.
When Courtney Nettleton, a 21-year-old from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, found herself ‘uncontrollably’ tired and sleeping 14 hours a day in the summer of 2021, she feared something was wrong. was not going.
“Doctors told me it was just teenage laziness,” Nettleton told NeedtoKnow.online. But after colleagues noticed a large bump protruding from the blonde’s neck in January 2022, a specialist discovered the real cause of her chronic condition.
“In February I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the doctors told me it was growing rapidly,” she said. “I was so devastated and worried.”
The American Cancer Society has estimated that there have been 43,800 new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States so far in 2022 – with 11,860 cases found in men and 31,940 in women.
“I knew deep down that something was wrong, and being told it was just teenage laziness by the doctors was incredibly frustrating,” said Nettleton, who works as a senior care assistant, at JamPress.
In the months leading up to his grim prognosis, Nettleton experienced a series of unusual symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, hot flashes, unsteadiness, stiff neck, acne and swings. mood.
But she says her healthcare provider dismissed her complaints, trivializing them as age-related growing pains. And so, she resumed her usual routine, going to work and hanging out with friends. Nettleton’s first doctors have yet to respond to requests for comment, according to Jam Press.
However, earlier this year, that all changed after colleagues pointed out the deformity in her neck and urged her to seek a second opinion.
“My friends noticed a small bump on my neck at work and that, combined with my symptoms, prompted me to schedule a doctor’s appointment the next day,” Nettleton said. “I received an urgent two-week referral for an ultrasound which confirmed I had a solid thyroid tumour.”
She immediately started treatment a month later in March and had to undergo two surgeries to remove the two halves of her thyroid.
But, unfortunately, Nettleton’s woes were far from over.
On March 22, between operations, she says doctors informed her that she was cancer free.
“After my first surgery, my doctor called me and told me that I was completely cured of cancer and had nothing to worry about,” she recalls.
But, after enjoying a brief period of relief, Nettleton learned that she still had cancer and the cancerous cells had spread to other parts of her body.
“My consultant called me just three days after that to tell me that cancer cells had been found in the lymph ducts and blood vessels of my thyroid and that I would need further surgery and radioactive iodine. “, she said.
“I was so devastated when I found out I still had cancer,” Nettleton said. “I had to tell my family and friends that I was not cured of cancer and that I still had treatments to do.”
She has since had two more surgeries, which left her “weak” and “anxious”.
“The first operation hurt me a lot and I was bedridden and the radioactive iodine made me feel very weak, and I had to be isolated in a room which was really lonely,” she recalls.
“I’ll find out the results in about six weeks to see if it was successful or not,” added Nettleton, who relies on friends and family for support during her post-surgery recovery.
“The wait is sickening, I am constantly reassured by [Macmillan Cancer Trust] and my social worker and even though my cancer is completely curable, there is always this worry that it could spread elsewhere,” she continued. “I suffer from severe anxiety so I am constantly worried.”
She also finds solace in the work and is grateful for the love she continues to receive from her co-workers.
“Work has been very supportive throughout my journey and has supported me constantly,” said Nettleton, who is set to take part in a skydiving charity event to raise awareness and funds for the Macmillan Cancer Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
She also started a GoFundMe to raise money for the cause.
“While I feel very let down by the doctors, the staff at Macmillan, my consultant and Leeds St James Hospital have been absolutely amazing throughout my journey,” Nettleton said enthusiastically.
And she now implores others to always stand up for themselves.
“Everyone knows their own body more than anyone else,” she said. “It’s so important to trust your instincts and follow your instincts – you have to stand up for yourself when you know something is wrong.”
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