Sunderland care worker diagnosed with cancer warns against delaying doctors visits during coronavirus lockdown

Doctors originally thought Kay Musther had pulled a muscle in her neck when she visited her GP surgery just before the coronavirus lockdown in March.

In May, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

A tumour – measuring 20cm by 10cm – was found in her chest and the otherwise healthy 32-year-old is now experiencing the ‘longest few months’ of her life as she endures rounds of chemotherapy and regular hospital visits.

Coronavirus has inevitably taken attention away from serious illnesses like cancer.

But Kay says her story is one which highlights the importance of getting problems checked as soon as possible.

She told the Echo: “It just happened one day when I woke up and felt as if someone had their hands around my neck.

“I had swelling on the right of my neck when I saw my GP, it wasn’t noticeable to anyone else and they just thought I’d pulled a muscle.

“You know when your body doesn’t quite feel right? That’s what it was like, so my partner took me to A&E and I was getting tests all day.

“After that, they thought it might have been a leaking artery but they had another look and told me that it wasn’t leaking, it’s cancer.”

Kay said she ‘hardly ever’ went to the doctors, and said the diagnosis is something ‘you never think would happen to you’.

She added: "It was heartbreaking and so scary because if I hadn’t have gone to the doctors when I did, it would have been too late.”

Macmillan Cancer Support described the ‘very worrying’ drop in the number of people coming forward with suspected cancer symptoms during the coronavirus lockdown as ‘a ticking timebomb’.

It is estimated that almost 2,000 cancer cases are going undiagnosed in the UK every week as a result.

Kay, a care worker, shares people’s fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

“People are scared to go to the doctors, I’ve been rushed to A&E three times in the past month and it’s empty, nobody is coming which is very worrying,” she said.

“I get petrified at hospital because that’s where the corona is and if I catch it now, my immune system is 000.7 so I’ve got nothing to fight it.

“It’s scary and you feel alone. Thankfully, I do have support around me, my partner and step-daughter are my world.”

Despite the ongoing uncertainty, Kay remains optimistic about the future.

“I feel down sometimes but I’m positive about it,” she added.

“To show I am strong to my partner and step-daughter is important because it gives them hope.

“Hopefully me getting this out there encourages someone to go to the doctors if they need to. It means while I’m sitting doing nothing, I’m helping.

“I’ve got a scan on June 24 and 28 to see if the treatment is working, which I’m looking forward to.

“If that doesn’t work then I’ll have to up my chemo to three times a week. My fingers and toes are crossed for that!”

Click here to read more about Kay’s story.

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