I was diagnosed with a common cold but ended up on chemo after my NHS aunt stepped in – I’m so lucky she noticed | The Sun

A WOMAN who was diagnosed with a common cold ended up on chemo after her NHS aunt insisted she get a scan.

Paris Wells, 28, from Kent, failed to get a doctor's appointment for a swelling in her neck which medics said was not cause for serious concern.

Unconvinced, the beauty therapist visited her local A&E – where her radiologist aunt demanded she get a scan and a biopsy.

She was devastated when the biopsy confirmed she had a Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Paris said: "When I first noticed my lump I phoned the doctors that day to get an appointment, and they could only offer me a telephone appointment four days later.

"Being worried I took myself to A&E the next day.

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"They told me it was a lymph node from a cold a week before, and that it didn't feel cancerous.

"Luckily my auntie works in radiology. She knew the lump didn’t look right and got a second opinion.

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"She showed someone she works with who said I need to get it checked soon as possible.

"She got me scanned straight away, and from there I then needed a biopsy.

"It came back to be cancer. I was diagnosed within four weeks because of her."

Paris underwent gruelling treatment for the stage-two cancer, including eight rounds of chemotherapy and 17 rounds of radiotherapy.

The shock diagnosis came just one week after Paris's nine-year relationship ended, leaving her heartbroken.

Now she has entered remission – but is still traumatised by her experience.

She said: "Before I could start any chemotherapy treatments, I chose to have fertility treatment to freeze my eggs just in case the chemotherapy would affect me having children in the future.

"After completing this fertility treatment at King's College Hospital, I started my first Chemotherapy in June at the Chartwell Unit at Princess Royal Hospital.

"After four rounds of Chemotherapy I had a PET scan to see how I was reacting and I was clear, but I still had to complete another four rounds to finish the course.

"After that I had to have 17 sessions of Radiotherapy, attending Guy's Hospital every day.

"The side effects are pretty awful until you get that under control, and knowing that my scan was clear and I still had to have four more Chemotherapy sessions was challenging."

She added: "I am now cancer free, but I will be having counselling to deal with life after cancer.

"In the same week of being diagnosed my boyfriend of nine years ended things with me.

"It was a lot to take on as well as being told you have cancer.

"I still struggle now with how he couldn't even be there as a friend for me, but hopefully the counselling will help with everything."

But Paris also praised her family and friends for their support throughout her cancer treatment.

She said: "I completed the lymphoma action walk before my treatment with my friends, and I became an ambassador for the Chartwell Cancer Trust.

"My family and friends have come along to charity events I have put on, and it was my best friend Lauren and my Nan who took me to appointments.

"Everyone was waiting for me outside my last Chemotherapy session to ring the bell.

"It's important to not be afraid and keep a positive mindset.

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"I’m off on a well-deserved holiday and going back to work.

"In the future, I would really like to set up a podcast discussing people's journeys and what helped us through things, so when anyone else is diagnosed they can listen too."

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