A 20-year-old girl discovered that her itchy skin was indeed cancer
April Grierson, a make-up artist from Liverpool, is 20 years old. She thought her irritation was caused by her skin reacting to the brand of washing powder she was using. But nothing improved once she switched brands, and her rash persisted.
She tells her experience on TikTok about her GP’s surprising news that she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
April’s chronic itching began in June of last year, and she tried everything from switching brands to moving her dog, but nothing worked. When she went to the doctor, the doctor diagnosed her with scabies and gave creams and medications.
She detected a lump on her neck months after ‘treating’ the symptoms and was sent to a physician.
April was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer.
April had been out with his partner just days before discovering of her condition, and he had even proposed.
Her voyage was documented on TikTok, where it has been seen over 5.8 million times.
“I had this sense that something was wrong,” the 20-year-old recalled.
“I’d even told my mother I felt I had cancer,” she admitted, “but she put it down to my anxiety.” “It turned out that I was correct, and I’m glad I kept going to the physicians. I was familiar with my own body.”
“I was trying to figure out what I was allergic to at first. My skin itched all the time, from head to toe. My skin was splitting at the seams.”
“I couldn’t sleep, and I was causing myself to bleed, and I was completely red.”
“I couldn’t obtain a face-to-face visit due of Covid, so I kept sending additional images,” she explained, “but the doctors said I didn’t have any rash or unique skin marks for them to diagnose.”
“In October, I discovered a tumor in my neck that quickly expanded. I obtained an appointment at a specialist head and neck center within three weeks.”
“That day, I was diagnosed with cancer after blood tests, CT scans, and a biopsy revealed I had blood cancer and a tumor on my neck.”
Sean O’Flaherty, April’s now-fiance, accompanied her to all of their doctor appointments. When the 23-year-old found it was cancer, she was admitted in right away. “I knew it was cancer as soon as Sean was allowed in,” she said.
“I was terrified and sobbed uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe I had to tell my parents I had cancer while driving home. I was heartbroken.”
Even with all of this, April managed to get herself into even worse circumstances. April had one of the worst instances of OHSS the state has ever seen when she went to get her eggs frozen because chemotherapy might damage fertility.
In a different video, she describes how ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rendered her unable to move or keep food down for weeks. When the ovary is overstimulated, it expands as a result of the fluids.
April had fluids in her lungs for two weeks and had to be transferred to another hospital for treatment. Her situation was described by doctors as one of the most serious they had ever seen.
April just finished her second round of chemotherapy and is scheduled for ten more treatments.
“I’m spreading awareness for all I’m going through because I want people to realize they know their body best,” she says of the motive behind her clips.
“I’ll be happy if my tale inspires just one person to make an appointment and listen to their body.”
