Izzy Fletcher had a severe headache and felt like her head was about to ‘explode’ after drinking just one glass of wine, so she went for testing and was shortly diagnosed with blood cancer.
A lady who experienced debilitating headaches after only one glass of wine assumed she was allergic to alcohol, but when she went for tests, it was discovered she had blood cancer.
Izzy Fletcher, 23, was perplexed when she began having strange symptoms after only one glass of wine after work in March 2022.
She had to go home early as her head felt like it was ‘about to burst’ and her chest began to become tight, and as the symptoms persisted, perplexed Izzy began to question whether she had an ‘alcohol allergy’ or if the sickness was ‘psychological’.
Izzy, from Derby, tried to limit her alcohol use and track which types of alcohol made her symptoms worse, but when her symptoms continued, she went for testing and quickly discovered that she had something far worse.
Izzy went to Southampton University Hospital for testing in December and was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma on January 10.
In spite of the alarming diagnosis, the 23-year-old believes that finding out the cause for her headaches was a ‘relief’ since she now knew that she ‘wasn’t going insane’.
She started chemotherapy on Monday with a hopeful perspective owing to its very high’ success rate, and she encourages anybody having inexplicable symptoms to consult their doctor.
Izzy stated: “It would be bizarre because I’d take one drink and the reaction would last an eternity.
“I ordered one drink, which I believe was a glass of wine. When I first started drinking it, I experienced a splitting headache. It was strange.
“My brain felt like it was about to blow up. My chest was really constricted.
“If I went out and knew I was going to drink a lot, [the discomfort] would go away as soon as I started drinking more. As a result, everyone encouraged me to drink more.
“My partner used to tell me that it was all in my head and that if I didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t happen. And then you wonder, ‘am I going crazy?’.
“You’re trying to push it down with this psychological voice in your brain saying, ‘it’s not awful now – hurry, forget about it!’.
“The doctor assumed it had nothing to do with [the cough], but when they discovered it was Hodgkin’s disease, they discovered it was related to it.
“It felt good when they told me that. I wasn’t going insane.”
Izzy claims she has always enjoyed partying but confesses that a bottle of wine isn’t always worth the immediate discomfort.
She is scheduled to begin chemotherapy treatment on February 6 and is optimistic about the outcome.
Despite ‘consuming’ fear about her cancer diagnosis, the unwitting cancer sufferer is attempting to retain a cheerful attitude.
Izzy is now urging people to make the effort to see their doctor if they notice any unusual symptoms.
“The most important thing I’ve learned from this is that if you’re worried about something, go have it looked out,” Izzy added.
“As a 23-year-old, you don’t really think, ‘well, I’d best go and have myself looked out at the GP’.
“You definitely don’t anticipate it to be anything severe, and you certainly don’t expect to be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 23.
“I believe your thoughts naturally turn to your family, friends, and those you care about.
“You feel guilty because it’s beyond your control and you can’t do anything about it, but your family’s happiness will be dependent on your health for the next six months.
“I’ve never suffered with anxiety before, but the anxiety I’ve felt over the past [few] weeks has been insane.
“I can’t eat anything and I can’t think about anything else. That appears to be rather time-consuming.
“I’ll still have a drink if I feel like it; you just have to take it day by day.
“But there are moments when you just know that the agony isn’t worth it if you’re not going hard and drinking tequila shots all night.
“It’s strange since I’ve always been a heavy drinker who loves to party.
“My current treatment consists of six months of chemotherapy. It has a very high success rate in terms of curability and survival.”
Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon kind of blood cancer that begins in the lymphatic system and spreads to lymph nodes.
Swollen lymph nodes, unintended weight loss, and a persistent cough are some of the most typical signs of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Immunosuppressive medication, past Epstein-Barr virus infection, or having an ailment that weakens the immune system can all raise the likelihood of acquiring the disease.
Erin Balsa is a highly skilled and knowledgeable health journalist with a passion for educating the public on important health and wellness topics. With extensive experience in both traditional and digital media, Erin has established herself as a trusted voice in the field.