A young woman whose itchy skin turned out to be a rare form of cancer has urged others to never ignore their symptoms.
Asia Sharif says alarm bells first started to ring back in January when she noticed she had swollen glands in her neck.
The 26-year-old then began experiencing itchy skin a few months later – the irritation being so bad she couldn’t sleep or “live a normal life”.
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Asia, who lives in Deansgate, decided to visit her GP and was later told she needed to have a needle biopsy, a procedure to obtain cells for laboratory testing.
But the waiting list was long, and by the time her appointment came around in the summer, Asia’s lymph nodes were so swollen the medic couldn’t insert a needle.
While she waited to have surgery to remove them instead, Asia conducted her own research. She Googled her symptoms and discovered Hodgkin lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. That was when she knew.
“They suggested I was young and healthy and it was probably something else,” the NatWest software engineer told the Manchester Evening News. “But it was sad for me because I already knew. I knew I had lymphoma. I had done loads of research.”
While waiting to be seen by a specialist, Asia booked a private appointment to see a head and neck doctor through her employee benefit scheme.
She was referred to see a haematologist, a medic who specialises in blood, who believed she had Hodgkin lymphoma following an MRI scan.
Though she needed to have further tests, the verbal diagnosis came a relief to Asia, who knew she would finally get help for her chronic itching.
“The itching was insanity,” she added. “I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t have a normal life at all for months and months. I had bruises all over my legs and feet were all cut up.
“Everyone was really confused because I had bloods done and I saw a range of different doctors. I did a bunch of different tests from infectious disease to HIV. Everything was negative so everyone was confused.
“The NHS and private doctors tried their best, both sides were great. I just chose to go private out of my employment privilege.
“For me, it was just a relief because I knew I was going to get help after nearly a year. It was a cry of relief, not a cry of sadness. I was just really relieved.”
Asia was immediately given treatment which stopped her itching and reduced the size of her swollen lymph nodes.
She was then started on an ABVD chemotherapy course, which includes four different types of chemotherapy, leaving her bedbound for a week.
“What is happening to me is such a shock,” Asia added. “I just need to stay positive; I’m not going to sit here and say chemo is fine.
“When I had my first chemo two weeks ago, it was horrendous. I was nauseous and bedbound for seven days. I couldn’t eat because I had mouth sores. It was just horrendous but the doctors were amazing and they gave me medications to help the side effects.”
Asia had surgery to remove one swollen lymph node from the side of her neck which confirmed her cancer. She was then transferred to The Christie Private Care.
While medics initially thought her cancer was at Stage 2, further tests revealed cancerous cells in her bone marrow – meaning it was actually Stage 4.
Thankfully, Asia’s chemo appears to be working well and she’s hopeful she will be in remission in six months.
“My doctor is confident he can cure this but it’s going to be gruelling,” she said. “I was so close to giving to giving up getting a diagnosis but I kept pushing on because my quality of life was so poor.
“I wasn’t sleeping. If I had given up, I probably would have been at very late stage 4. I definitely wouldn’t be here if I had ignored it. I really pushed for that diagnosis.
“I was going to the gym twice a day, eating a balanced diet and had energy. You wouldn’t believe the whole time I had stage 4 cancer – I didn’t know.”
With her chemotherapy treatment ongoing, Asia recently had her eggs collected and frozen to preserve her fertility.
She also had her head shaven with the help of Hair Reborn charity, an organisation which offers free hair styling for those suffering with cancer.
Asia then donated her hair to Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer.
“Hopefully, after I beat cancer, I can get myself back on track,” Asia said. “For now, I can stay really positive. I just want young people to push for a diagnosis’ and listen to their bodies.“
A fundraiser has been set up to help Asia through this difficult time. To donate, follow the link by clicking here.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
