The life of a trainee nurse was turned upside down after discovering a small lump on her neck that turned out to be stage four cancer.
Alix Maitland, 20, says she has had no other symptoms and is now undergoing chemotherapy to fight the disease but has tried to stay positive throughout the experience.
The Scot was a sophomore at Edinburgh Napier University and had worked 12-hour shifts on wards as a student nurse.
But she had to take a leave after a small lump on the side of her neck was revealed to be Hodgin’s Lymopha, which had spread to her neck, chest, bones and spleen, forcing her to immediately undergo grueling chemotherapy.
The condition is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands distributed throughout the body.
Following her diagnosis, the determined and inspirational 20-year-old donated her hair to the tiny Princess Trust, raising over £5,000 (€5,744) for charity. She shares her story to help others.
Alix said: “I’m currently in my second year studying nursing at Edinburgh Napier and had to cut my placement short due to scans and other stuff. I actually only had swollen lymph nodes in my neck however I’d always had a swollen gland in the side of my neck since I was a child that would swell if I was under the weather so I never ever thought to get it checked again. It wasn’t until I felt another like pea-sized node in a different area of my neck that I got it checked but I never had any additional symptoms other than swollen nodes though,” reports The Mirror.
She added: “You are told to live as normal as you can, see your friends etc. Going into the outside world is not as carefree as it used to be, it has been quite frightening if I’m honest. I am constantly on edge about catching infections as my immune system is pretty much non-existent just now due to chemotherapy so the smallest of infections could hospitalise me which I really do not want. I’ve had to put uni on hold, for the time being, I’m finding it hard to be the patient after being on the other side of care for so long. With working in an ice rink and having to skate I’ve had to stop working for the time being as well as my body just can’t cope with too much strenuous exercise,” reports The Mirror.
Finally, the 20-year-old reflected on receiving some life-changing news at such a young age.
She said: “When you’re diagnosed it doesn’t seem real. It’s definitely been hard and many tears have been shed but at the end of the day, you need to pick yourself up and fight,” reports The Mirror.
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