Sumbul Ali scratched herself for almost a year straight, she was haunted by the feeling that some creatures were crawling under her skin. Doctors have repeatedly told her that it is most likely dry skin and she just needs to hydratebut the 26-year-old woman was convinced that something else was going on. “I knew right away it was cancer,” she described the moment when her suspicions were confirmed, the newspaper reported.
“The first doctor I went to for the itching told me to moisturize my skin and that it was probably just dry skin,” said Sumbul. She also added that she experienced uncontrollable itching daily that worsened at night and kept her up for hours. “I didn’t sleep properly for seven months straight. I scratched myself with sharp objects and no medication, creams or antihistamines helped. The doctors attributed it to dry skin, scabies or eczema,” explained Sumbul.
In addition to the extreme itching of Sumbul she also experienced constant night sweats, chronic fatigue and loss of appetite. However, based on the doctors’ advice, she believed that it was caused by the products she used at home. She puzzled over the cause of the itching until she found a lump on her neck. “I accidentally touched my neck and felt a lump,” she said. When she searched for information on the Internet, all the symptoms, itchy skin, fatigue, night sweats, fell into place. “At that moment it was clear to me that I had cancer,” she added.
Sumbul believed she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, as all her symptoms agreed. At the beginning of March, the doctor visited and talked about her concerns. In a burst of frustrated tears, after listing all the symptoms and the unsuccessful treatment so far, she begged for an ultrasound. A few weeks later, on March 17, her worst fears were confirmed by an official diagnosis from a hematologist.
“When I got the ultrasound results that confirmed multiple enlarged lymph nodes in my neck, the doctor rushed me to the hospital. They did a CT scan and the doctors at the hospital confirmed more enlarged lymph nodes in my chest and neck.” described the Sumbul procedure. They told her they strongly suspected lymphoma, so she underwent a biopsy and PET scan the following week.
Her cancer was caught between the second and third stages. She had enlarged nodes on her neck and chest, and the disease had spread to her spleen. The 26-year-old woman has currently completed the first round of chemotherapy and has another five to go. “I felt a huge relief because I finally felt like someone was listening to me,” Sumbul said. She knew she was finally on the right track to an itch-free day and a good night’s sleep. “I woke up every night for seven months and almost scratched myself to death. If you know something is wrong with you, please don’t stop fighting for the truth.” she concluded.
