The scariest thing about many serious diseases is how easy it is for people to dismiss warning signs. For example, sudden itching can be a sign of pancreatic cancer, while you can actually smell cervical cancer symptom. Again, first symptoms of even young onset dementia are so easy to miss.
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This is why it is important for us to listen to the accounts of people who have been through these experiences.
NBC reports on one of their journalist, Antonia Hylton, who shares the confusing set of symptoms she experienced, that finally led to her being diagnosed with a rare kind of cancer.
Symptoms experienced by the journalist
Hylton recounts how she would wake up feeling out of sorts, and also had constant stomach issues. She chalked it up to her hectic lifestyle as a journalist on the road. But the symptoms just got worse.
She tell NBC,
I was waking up (and) my face was swollen. I was having trouble going to the bathroom for days on end
After doing some research, it dawned on her that she might be experiencing symptoms of colon cancer. She immediately booked an appointment with the doctors, did the tests and waited for the results.
She had a rare form of cancer
The test results showed that Hylton did not have colon cancer, but another kind of rare cancer. She had a polyp or neuroendocrine tumour. This tumour could happen anywhere in the body, but most often, it appeared in the gastrointestinal tract, and had similar symptoms as colon cancer.
The symptoms include,
- Blood in the stool.
- Change in bowel habits.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Abdominal pain.
- Fatigue.
Fortunately, due to Hylton's proactive steps in seeking medical help, her tumour was detected early. After medical treatments, she is now cancer-free.
Read more:
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Sources used:
NBC News: NBC’s Antonia Hylton, 30, diagnosed with rare cancer after dismissing these early signs
