When Nancy Major, 39, first noticed a lump in her lower jaw, she assumed it was a common dental problem. But what appeared to be a minor complication quickly turned into a nightmare. , doctors discovered that an American woman suffers from an extremely rare and aggressive cancer, for which she must fight for her life.
- American Nancy Major discovered an unusual symptom that she thought was a common problem.
- Doctors eventually diagnosed her with B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive type of cancer.
- The mother took part in a clinical trial during which doctors were able to stop the spread of the tumor.
- Currently, Nancy has a good chance of recovery.
Nancy, from the US town of Fannett, Texas, first felt that something was wrong when an abscess-like mass appeared near her wisdom tooth in January of this year. At first, she thought the symptom was related to a cold she was battling at the time. Later, however, she began to suffer from shortness of breath, which made it difficult for her to walk up the stairs.
The pressure in her mouth was so strong that her tooth began to loosen. She therefore underwent an operation to remove it, after which the doctor sent her home with painkillers. Despite this, her condition did not improve at all. “Three weeks later, I still wasn’t feeling well. I went from 63 kilos to 48 and I knew something more serious was bothering me,” said the mother of two, as she repeatedly begged doctors to examine her.
The American soon underwent a series of CT scans, but the lump in her mouth kept getting bigger. Even though the doctors saw it on the images, they still thought it was just an abscess. “The pain was unbearable. I couldn’t eat or drink,” Nancy revealed. Another medic eventually realized it couldn’t be an abscess and ordered an emergency exam followed by a biopsy. She revealed that the mass was cancerous and had to be removed immediately.
The mother was transferred to a more modern hospital in Texas. There, specialists quickly discovered that suffers from a rare and extremely aggressive B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer that arises in the white blood cells responsible for making antibodies to fight infections. Although the disease was caught early and it was in the first stage, Nancy only had a 20 percent chance of survival. “I completely collapsed. I had a panic attack and I couldn’t breathe,” she explained.
Quick treatment saved her
Fortunately, her cousin, who is a doctor, recommended her to sign up for a clinical trial. After undergoing another series of biopsies and examinations, the researchers accepted her, relieving her of the financial costs of treatment. “They saved my life. If I didn’t have these resources, I wouldn’t be here today,” Nancy stated.
The tumor in her jaw began to shrink rapidly after chemotherapy. After the third cycle, only a small part of it remained. “My cancer is almost gone and has not spread. Now I have a good chance of remission. It’s crazy how quickly everything has changed in just a few weeks,” added Nancy.
But the treatment took a heavy toll. With the clinical trial taking place more than two thousand kilometers from her hometown, it was difficult for Nancy to endure such a long period of time without her sons, 8-year-old D’siah and 7-year-old Kannon. “I’m a mother, so it was a difficult time,” she said, adding that her dream is to finish treatment and return home.
Nancy previously worked in property management, but had to quit after her diagnosis. Currently, he receives social benefits from the state, which barely cover living expenses. That’s why the mom started a collection on the GoFundMe page to get the necessary funds for care during the difficult treatment. Thanks to people’s willingness, she was able to collect more than 18 thousand dollars.
