An essential worker who was told her five-month-long cough was probably due to COVID found out the truth was much worse.
Chloe Girardier, 23, claims she was initially denied an in-person doctors appointment, only to later discover she hadcancer.
The care home worker, from England, said: Its so hard to get appointments; they kept telling me I wasnt eligible for an urgent appointment because it was just a cough.
There were multiple times people asked if I had tested for COVID and it was frustrating because other illnesses still exist and a cough isnt just a sign of COVID.
I felt people would stare at me when I coughed and people instantly assumed I must have COVID.
Chloe, who had worked in the aviation industry before COVID hit,believed she had contracted a cold in July after experiencing a chesty cough.
After struggling to get a doctors appointment, she says she was given antibiotics, inhalers, and acid reflux tablets to no avail.
Seven doctors appointments later, Chloe noticed she was losing weight.
She demanded a chest X-ray to discover what was causing her continuous cough.
It was then that doctors found a mass on Chloes chest measuring 4.25 inches, leading to a cancer diagnosis on December 3.
Chloe was told she had Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare cancer of the lymphatic system that causessymptomssuch as a persistent cough,itchy skin, weight loss, night sweats and a fever.
Medics have scheduled her in for intensive chemotherapy on December 20, just a few days before Christmas.
Chloe said: Im putting a complaint in to my doctors because I think Ive been fobbed off for a long time due to my age.
I had heard about this kind of cancer before because I knew someone who had had it and luckily, its one of the easiest cancers to treat, so Im confident Ill make a full recovery.
I had no lumps or any other noticeable signs apart from the continuous cough.
When I started losing weight in October, thats when I really pushed for answers because it was noticeable to everyone around me.
I cant believe it wasnt looked into further and if I hadnt pushed for the chest X-ray, I may still not have a diagnosis.
Now, because Ive been diagnosed so late, Ill have to have my chemotherapy a few days before Christmas.
Chloe was devastated after receiving her diagnosis but wants to raise awareness for other young people to push for answers if they have a feeling something is wrong.
She added: Its been dragged on so long because of my age.
Even the doctors were saying it was strange that I had a cough for such a long time, but they werent looking into it.
Chloe had just bought a house with her partner, Jack Dunn, 24, and wishes doctors had found out about the cancer sooner.
She said: If doctors had found it quicker, I wouldnt need such intense chemo.
Ive prepared myself for the chemo but the hardest part for me is going to be losing my hair.
I do my hair every morning and dont leave the house without mascara, so losing all my hair is going to be tough.
Ive had to be signed off from work for three months as it has been a really difficult time.
This cancer couldve been caught three months earlier and Im just lucky its this type of cancer and not one that progresses really quickly.
Chloes family are fundraising for a real hair wig for Chloe after her chemotherapy onGoFundMe.
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I was told my five-month cough and weight loss was COVID but the reality was worse - New York Post
