A student nurse claims doctors have repeatedly dismissed her waxy lumps on her ear and neck as “fresh flu” or “hay fever”.
Now Jasmine Raven, 22, is fighting for her life after biopsies of lumps in her neck revealed she has cancer.
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Jasmine first visited her doctor in September 2023 after noticing a pea-sized lump on the left side of her neck.
She was told the swelling was likely caused by a virus, but became concerned when more viruses appeared on her neck.
This time, Jasmine’s doctors performed an ultrasound, which confirmed her lymph nodes were enlarged – but doctors ruled this was caused by a bout of ‘fresh flu’.
This is a term for the mix of viral infections and illnesses that tend to circulate among students during the first few weeks of the school year.
In addition to being a third-year student at the time, Jasmine only attended classes at the university once a week and never went out to parties.
The student also suffered from hearing loss in one ear, caused by wax build-up or hay fever.
Jasmine – also mum to two-year-old Esme – continued to insist that doctors looked further into her symptoms and managed to get a biopsy of the lumps.
Because he was young, they simply didn’t consider the possibility that it was cancer. I arrived with one lump and when I started treatment there were already five or six
Jasmine Crow
But she was horrified when the results showed she had nasopharyngeal cancer.
This is a rare type of cancer that starts in the part of the throat that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth – known as the pharynx.
About 260 people are diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer each year.
‘A WAITING GAME’
The mother expressed her frustration that it had taken so long for the warning signs of her illness to be detected.
She said: “It took around six months between the discovery of the lump and the diagnosis, which was frustrating because if they had done the scan and biopsy sooner, I could have started treatment much sooner.
“I came to them with a lump that wouldn’t go away and that should have been investigated further.
“I think because I was young, they just didn’t take it seriously or consider the possibility that it was cancer. I arrived with one lump and when I started treatment there were already five or six.”
Despite doctors saying she probably had a “fresh flu”, Jasmine was convinced that couldn’t be the case.
“I said I don’t live in universities and I only go once a week for lectures. I never go out to parties or clubs. I’m not living the student lifestyle.
It’s not often that you have to write a will at 22 and collect eggs for future children
Jasmine Crow
“I knew there was no way it was freshman flu. They thought it was viral and nothing to worry about.
“I was referred to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist), but I had to constantly call to ask when my appointment would be.
“When I saw the consultants, they said they would send me for a biopsy. After that, it was a waiting game – lots of calls and questions about what was going on.
“At this point, I had lost hearing in one of my ears and it has now disappeared – I didn’t know it was one of the symptoms of cancer.”
Jasmine thought her hearing loss might be caused by a build-up of wax in her ears, so she visited a wax removal clinic.
The clinic referred her for further testing after noticing the “membrane [in her ear] It was swollen.”
At a follow-up appointment with her family doctor, her hearing loss was ruled out as allergies, despite Jasmine not suffering from symptoms of hay fever.
The nursing student said this assessment came “out of the blue” – and she “knew very well it wasn’t hayfever”.
‘Continue asking for investigation’
Jasmine’s biopsy and a follow-up scan confirmed that the cancer had spread from her mother’s pharynx to her lymph nodes, causing lumps in her neck.
Jasmine is trying to stay positive while undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and egg retrieval, despite her fear that she won’t be here to see her daughter grow up.
Her nursing degree also took a backseat, but she shared in a Facebook post that she hopes her ordeal will make her a better nurse and that she hopes to qualify as soon as possible.
She said: “Of course thoughts of not being here cross your mind with a cancer diagnosis.
“It’s not often you have to write a will at 22 and collect my eggs for future children. I’m just trying to stay positive for the future.
“I would say to other people: keep asking for an investigation to make sure it’s nothing sinister. Most of the time it’s not, but it’s always good to check everything.”
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What is nasopharyngeal cancer?
NASOPHARYNGEAL cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects the part of the throat that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth – called the pharynx.
It is often difficult to recognize nasopharyngeal cancer because the symptoms are similar to other less serious diseases.
Additionally, many people with nasopharyngeal cancer do not experience symptoms until the cancer reaches an advanced stage.
Symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer may include:
- A lump on the neck that doesn’t go away after three weeks
- Hearing loss (usually only in one ear)
- Tinnitus (hearing sounds that come from inside the body rather than an external source)
- Stuffy or stuffy nose (usually blocked on one side only)
- Nosebleeds
- Headaches
- Double vision
- Numbness in the lower part of the face
- Swallowing problems
- A hoarse voice
- Unintentional weight loss
See a doctor if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they do not improve after three weeks.
It is very unlikely that they are caused by nasopharyngeal cancer, but it is best to get tested.
Source: National Health Service
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
