A STUDENT was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after doctors found her anxious and dehydrated.
Molly Smith began to feel numbness in her hands and feet, but initially didn’t think it was anything to worry about.
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She waited a month before seeing her doctor, who informed her that her strange symptom was likely due to anxiety or simply not drinking enough water, since she was otherwise healthy.
But Molly, then 20, knew deep down it was something more serious.
“The numbness was so bad that it was affecting my ability to walk and dance, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to regain feeling,” she said. News week.
“I knew there had to be an explanation and I would do everything in my power to find out.”
Molly, a student at Yale University, spent months visiting different doctors to try to figure out her condition.
She was given an unofficial diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome – where pressure on a nerve in the wrist causes pain and numbness in the hand and fingers – but was still not convinced, so asked to see a neurologist.
After several months of back and forth, an ultrasound identified an ovarian cyst – a fluid-filled sac.
At first, Molly was told it was benign and that she should wait three months to see if the problem went away on its own.
But at age 21, after further testing, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Molly, from New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States, wrote a blog for Yale News: “I received a phone call that changed my life.
“In a matter of seconds, I felt like I was outside my body. It was almost comical.
“Then I cried. The hurt and anger finally started to come out of me.”
Molly, now 22, underwent surgery to remove the tumor in January 2023, followed by three rounds of chemotherapy, and is now in remission.
But she wants to use her story to encourage others to push for answers if they’re not satisfied with the explanations they’re receiving.
Rejection of my concerns is unacceptable
molly smith
“I wasn’t listened to because I’m young and I don’t have any previous health problems, so I had to beg three doctors to take me seriously,” Molly said.
“I’m so glad I did it because I was lucky enough to find the cancer while it was at stage one.
“I understand that most doctors would not make the connection between neuropathy and ovarian cancer, but the dismissal of my concerns is unacceptable.”
Neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can cause pain, numbness or weakness, according to the NHS.
This includes pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in the hands, arms or feet.
MOLLY’S APPEAL
Earlier this year, Molly released Mariposa Mission – a non-profit organization that aims to empower young people and educate them about cancer.
In a TikTok video, she said, “If doctors are dismissing your concerns and you feel like something is wrong and you need to look for more answers, you should be the one to advocate for yourself.”
Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK.
It mainly affects women over 50, but can happen at any age.
Around 7,500 people are diagnosed with the disease every year.
And there are about 4,100 ovarian cancer deaths annually – or 11 per day.
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Warning signs of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer affects the ovaries – the organs that store the eggs needed to make babies.
It mainly affects women over 50, although it can affect anyone with ovaries.
Symptoms can be vague and not always obvious. But you should talk to your doctor if you notice any of the following 12 or more times a month:
Other symptoms include: indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, back pain, feeling constantly tired, losing weight without trying, vaginal bleeding after menopause.
Source: SNS
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
