A young woman from Sydney, Australia was turned away by four different doctors and misdiagnosed with sciatica before she was finally correctly diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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By the time doctors discovered the true source of her symptoms, the disease had progressed to stage 4 and the cancer had spread to her lungs, chest and stomach.
According to the Daily Mail, Daniella Laura Rizzo began experiencing extreme fatigue and severe pain in her hips in October 2016. Because her job involved standing for long periods of time, her doctor dismissed the symptoms, saying it was because her hips were swollen. As the symptoms persisted, she saw another doctor who ordered blood tests.
The blood tests revealed that Daniella had a high white blood cell count but the doctor didn’t follow up with any further tests, so she decided to see a specialist who diagnosed her with sciatica. It was only after a lump appeared on her collarbone that she was sent for more tests.
When she was finally diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, doctors believed she’d probably been living with the disease for a year and a half. Daniella is now undergoing treatment for the disease.
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