A woman has revealed her ordeal after being “fobbed off” by doctors as she claims they said her “excruciating” pain was “normal” – but now her life is on the line.
Hannah Sheridan had been at the pub, enjoying a glass of wine with friends, when her world suddenly came crashing down.
The 26-year-old “froze in shock” as they pointed out a “huge lump” bulging out of her neck.
It was later confirmed to be thyroid cancer and so the customer service representative was rushed in to have emergency removal surgery.
Sadly, it wasn’t successful and the growth had spread; leaving Hannah with no choice but to have her entire thyroid removed.
And right now, her life is on the line.
“I’m hoping this will be it now and I can move on,” Hannah, from London, told Need To Know.
“But if it’s an aggressive form of cancer, then who knows what will happen next?
“When I felt the lump while with my friends, I tried to keep calm.
“I was hoping they would say it was all in my head and there was nothing there.
“They tried to reassure me that it’d be nothing serious; though I couldn’t help but panic.”
Hannah had been suffering from a range of health issues for years.
She had been experiencing problems with her hormones and stomach, which were diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome.
There was also a “throbbing” pain at the back of her neck that wouldn’t shift.
She said: “I was told that it was just due to my muscles being tense.
“I had also suffered from constantly fluctuating weight, as well as acid reflux.
“Doctors kept dismissing me with other conditions.
“But, deep down, I knew something much worse was going on.
“None of my symptoms had been taken seriously until it was too late.”
In May 2025, the lump was confirmed to be on her thyroid and two weeks later, Hannah was placed on the suspected cancer list.
A biopsy and ultrasound were carried out, alongside a blood test, though her results from the latter came back “normal”.
A month on, she met with a surgeon face-to-face who confirmed it was papillary thyroid cancer.
On 3 June, the right side of her thyroid was removed and it was a waiting game to see what would happen next.
She said: “I was in complete pieces.
“After the dust had settled, I began to feel strangely calm.
“I had no choice but to cope with whatever was about to come my way, though.”
In August, she jetted off to Ibiza to celebrate with her friends when she got a devastating phone call that the tumour had grown.
Now, she’s left with the prospect of having her entire thyroid removed, as well as potential radiotherapy if the cancer is aggressive.
She added: “Since the operation, the intense neck pain I had been feeling has vanished completely.
“And not only that, my periods are regular for the first time in my life.
“I never knew I had thyroid problems as my hormone issues were always fobbed off and deemed normal.
“I’ve got to be on replacement medication for life now.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry, though.
“The last few months have been hard, as I’ve not been sleeping well and feel like I’ve been left in the dark a lot.
“But I’m so glad I trusted my instincts and pushed for an answer.
“Women’s health isn’t taken seriously enough.
“It’s time to start listening – as, otherwise, it might be too late.”
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