A young woman has shared her shocking experience with thyroid cancer – claiming doctors initially said her symptoms were just “teenager laziness” and later allegedly wrongly declaring her cancer-free.
Courtney Nettleton, 21, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, initially visited her GP because she felt “uncontrollably” tired and was sleeping for up to 14 hours a day.
The senior care assistant received routine tests from her GP in the summer of 2021, all of which came back normal – but Courtney knew there was something seriously wrong after continuing to experience a range of symptoms.
She continued to live her normal life by meeting up with friends and going to work, where colleagues noticed a large lump protruding from her neck in January.
A month later, the then 20-year-old, received the earth-shattering diagnosis of thyroid cancer and is currently receiving two forms of treatment to beat her illness.
“I was so devastated and worried,” Courtney told NeedToKnow.online.
“I was told by doctors that it was just teenage laziness.
“Thyroid cancer is rare, however, I knew deep down that something wasn’t right, and being told that it was just teenage laziness by the doctors was incredibly frustrating.”
After her initial visit to the GP, Courtney noticed even more unusual symptoms including tiredness, breathlessness, and even suffering hot flushes, unsteadiness, neck stiffness, acne, and moodiness.
Despite the doctor allegedly explaining her symptoms were common for her age, she believed that something wasn’t right and decided to trust her instinct.
She said: “Everyone knows their own bodies more than anybody else.
“It is so important to trust your gut and follow your instinct – you have to stand up for yourself when you know something isn’t right.
“My friends noticed a small lump on my neck at work and that combined with my symptoms pushed me to book a doctor’s appointment the next day.
“I was given a two-week urgent referral for an ultra-sound which confirmed I had a solid tumor in my thyroid.
“In February, I had a biopsy taken from the tumor and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and doctors told me it was growing fast.“
Courtney’s treatment began a month later in March.
In between separate surgeries, where both halves of her thyroid were removed, Courtney claims that doctors have made yet another mistake and told her she was cancer-free on March 22nd.
After a temporary feeling of relief, Courtney received the more devastating news that her cancer had spread to her blood vessels and required urgent surgery and radiotherapy.
“I was so upset when I found out I still had cancer.
“I had to tell my family and friends that I wasn’t cancer-free and that I had more treatment to go.”
Courtney said: “I feel like the doctors completely overlooked me.
“After my first surgery, my doctor rang me and told me I was completely cancer-free and that I had nothing to worry about.
“My consultant rang me just three days after this to tell me that cancer cells were found in lymph channels and blood vessels within my thyroid and that I would need further surgery and radioiodine.
“So far, I’ve had two surgeries and one round of radioiodine treatment.
“The first surgery made me very poorly and I was bed bound and the radioiodine made me feel very weak, and I had to be isolated in a room which was really lonely.
“I will find out the results in roughly around six weeks to see whether this has been successful or not.
“The wait is sickening, I have the constant reassurance from Macmillan and my social worker and even though my cancer is very curable there’s always that worry that it could spread elsewhere.
“I suffer from severe anxiety so I am constantly worried.”
As Courtney anxiously waits for her results, she has been keeping herself busy by surrounding herself with loved ones and friends.
She added: “Work has been very supportive throughout the whole entire journey and has constantly supported me.
“Although I feel very let down by doctors, the staff at Macmillan, my consultant, and Leeds St James hospital have been absolutely amazing throughout my journey.”
Courtney is also participating in a skydive to raise awareness and funds for Macmillan Cancer Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust who she credits for helping her through the difficult time.
You can donate to Courtney’s fundraiser here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/macmillan-cancer-support-and-teenage-cancer-trust?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
Jam Press has contacted Courtney’s GP for comment.
