A fitness trainer from the UK thought she had a stiff neck and therefore didn’t want to go to the doctor. The British woman believed that she had strained a muscle in her neck during one of the classes she taught via Zoom during the pandemic.
But when Lily Venus, 26, finally sought help, it turned out that the pain was actually caused by stage four cancer. The case took place in November 2021.
She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a disease that affects the blood, more specifically the lymphatic system. Lily already had manifestations of the cancer on both sides of her neck, in her chest and in her lungs.
“When I discovered my lymphoma, it was in a phase of intense growth. Who knows where I would be now if I hadn’t started my chemotherapy right away.” to the Daily Mail.
British woman was a fitness instructor and ended up thinking that neck pain was the result of exercisesPlayback/Instagram/@lilyvenus
Lily Venus, 26, thought she had a torticollis but discovered Hodgkin’s lymphomaShe underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapyPlayback/Instagram/@lilyvenus
Lily Venus, 26, thought she had a torticollis but discovered Hodgkin’s lymphomaThe young woman’s biggest fear was having her fertility affected during the treatment, which did not happenPlayback/Instagram/@lilyvenus
Lily Venus, 26, thought she had a torticollis but discovered Hodgkin’s lymphomaLily says she now wants to live even longer and finally become a motherPlayback/Instagram/@lilyvenus
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Lily did not pay attention to the symptoms manifested, believing that the exhaustion was the result of her intense exercise routine and the stress generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. She attributed the itchiness she felt to an allergic reaction to the dog she had recently adopted.
She had to undergo 12 chemotherapy sessions and even postponed treatment for six months to consider in vitro fertilization, which ended up not being done.
Lily decided to have the treatment and in early 2022, and after a year in remission, she found that her ability to get pregnant was unaffected.
“I always had the dream of being a mother and knowing that I still have the possibility makes me want to be alive and happy even more. I’m trying to make the best of each day,” she says.
What is the disease?
Hodgkin’s lymphoma affects the ganglia and lymph nodes, tissues that produce immune cells that circulate in the blood. The manifestation of tumors in the neck and chest, as occurred with Lily, is what causes the most common symptoms of the disease.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma especially affects teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 29. In the last year, according to data from the Ministry of Health, 3,080 people were diagnosed with the disease in Brazil.
The symptoms of this type of lymphoma vary depending on the area where the tumors develop. When they reach the chest, for example, shortness of breath, pain and cough may occur. In the abdomen, they can cause pain and distention. In general, however, the patient usually has extreme fatigue, night sweats, itchiness and weight loss for no apparent reason.
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