A young woman who thought her extreme fatigue had been caused by a travel “hangover” was actually suffering from aggressive cancer all along.
After a long trip to Colombia to film her very first documentary, 25-year-old Sophie Turner returned home feeling exhausted and tired.
It didn’t take long before the young graduate noticed a large lump forming on the side of her neck, which finally prompted her to visit a doctor.
“I kept a positive attitude because I've never been one to really worry about these things,” Turner said, The Daily Mail reported. “At the time, I didn't know the signs of cancer. That's something I now believe people need to look out for more.”
Soon, doctors diagnosed Turner with Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system that typically shows up in the form of swollen lymph nodes in the neck, groin, or armpits.
Immediately, Turner had to begin six months of intense chemotherapy, which she described as “a combination of sea-sickness and the world's worst hangover.”
Now that she’s been given the all-clear by her doctor, Turner is dedicated to being an advocate for healthy eating.
After doing some research, she believes her own unhealthy habits may have contributed to her debilitating symptoms while fighting the disease.
“Before cancer, I was living the typical lifestyle of someone in their 20s,” Turner said. “It's easy to live in our heads and not pay attention to our bodies, but this has really woken me up.”
“Everything felt so out of control, but this was a way of rebuilding my immune system and giving my body the right nutrients to recover,” she added.
Turner now tries to fit healthy eating and exercise into her lifestyle, and she says she has more energy than ever before.
“It's made me take responsibility for my body, nourish it and be more present,” she said. “I have a new sense of gratitude over the power of the body and what it can take.”
