Erin Lavery, 21, began suffering strange symptoms from migraines to a lump in her neck last year but doctors believed she had an iron deficiency – the truth was far more serious
A young woman is warning others not to dismiss seemingly mild symptoms after a persistent cough turned out to be stage 3 cancer.
Erin Lavery, from Cambuslang in Scotland, came down with a cough in October last year that she couldn’t get rid of, but as the 21-year-old suffered from asthma as a child she didn’t think much of it.
By November she noticed a lump had appeared on her neck and she went to her GP to get it checked out. Doctors believed her symptoms were linked to an iron deficiency and swollen lymph node, but over the next seven months, her symptoms became progressively worse with migraines, dizziness, and tiredness, which stopped her from working as a nail technician for periods of time.
Erin tried to continue with life as normal, but after feeling that she wasn’t improving after several months the beautician asked if she could be referred to a hospital and was sent for a biopsy.
Erin told the Daily Record: “I was feeling worse and worse but my GP surgery believed my symptoms were linked to low iron. They also took me off the contraceptive pill as they believed that could the cause – and they gave me medication such as steroids to see if my symptoms would clear up, but nothing worked. I knew something wasn’t right so the last time I went to the doctor’s about my lump I asked if I could get more tests at hospital. At that point, they agreed to refer me.”
Erin went for her first hospital appointment in July and by August 9 her first biopsy was done, but while she was waiting for the results she became more ill.
“My symptoms became worse very quickly after the biopsy,” Erin explained. “There were two weeks where I could not get out of bed and I was struggling at times to get my breath. I genuinely never felt so bad in my life. My mum phoned the hospital and they took me in for more tests straight away. I was diagnosed with lymphoma that same day.”
Erin began chemotherapy on September 6 and is expected to be getting the treatment for the next six months. She’s staying positive that she can recover, but the future is uncertain. She has now trying to raise awareness of her condition after an inspirational video of her shaving her long hair off went viral.
Erin said: “I first posted about my diagnosis on social media as I thought it was the easiest way to tell my clients, but then people started reaching out to me with their own symptoms. I have been touched by the response I’ve had to my own story as I never expected it. Something positive has come from a bad thing.”
“I now feel it’s important for me to use my voice and tell others that if you know there’s something not right, listen to your body. If I hadn’t pushed, I would still be sitting at home right now. A lot of what will happen next is uncertain, but I’m staying positive with the support of my family and friends.”
Erin has raised over £13,000 for the Little Princess Trust by donating her hair.
