A 21 year old woman’s excessive lethargy led to a shocking medical discovery. Courtney Nettleton, from the UK, felt unusually tired and slept for up to 14 hours a day during the summer of 2021, sparking concerns for her well-being.
Despite early signs that something was amiss with her health, her symptoms were initially dismissed as teenage laziness by medical professionals. This misdiagnosis occurred even after Nettleton sought medical advice, worried about her excessive need for sleep.
However, in January 2022, a colleague noticed a large lump on Nettleton’s neck. This prompted her to revisit the hospital, where experts finally revealed the true cause of her chronic illness.
“I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in February, and the doctors told me the cancer was growing rapidly… I felt devastated and very worried,” Nettleton shared. Beyond her abnormal sleep patterns, she had experienced several other worrying symptoms over the past months, including breathlessness, hot flashes, instability, a stiff neck, acne, and mood swings.
Nettleton felt that her healthcare providers had ignored her complaints, attributing her pain and fatigue to growing older. Consequently, she returned to her daily routine, working and socialising as usual, reported Sanook.
“I had a gut feeling something was wrong, and being told by a doctor that it was just teenage laziness was incredibly frustrating,” she said.
On March 22, after surgery, she was informed she was cancer-free and had nothing to worry about. However, this relief was short-lived, as she was soon told that the cancer remained and had spread to other parts of her body.
“My consultant called me just three days later to tell me that cancer cells had been found in my lymph nodes and blood vessels in my thyroid, and I would need further surgery and radiation,” Nettleton recounted.
Since then, she has undergone two more surgeries, leaving her feeling weak and anxious. During this challenging time, she has relied heavily on the support of friends and family.
“I’ll know the outcome in about six weeks to see if it’s been successful… And even though the prognosis for cancer can be very good, I always have this concern that it could spread elsewhere… I’m suffering from severe anxiety, so I’m constantly worried,” she expressed.
“Everyone knows their body better than anyone else… Trusting your instincts and acting on them is incredibly important. We have to stand up for ourselves when we know something isn’t right,” Nettleton concluded.
