After being told that tonsillitis was likely to blame for her symptoms, a woman accurately diagnosed herself with leukemia. Chloe-Leigh Todd, 22, started experiencing a sore throat and overall malaise in 2020.
When her symptoms didn’t go away after a month, she called her GP and scheduled a phone consultation. She was diagnosed with tonsillitis at this time.
Chloe later learned that leukemia was a possibility after Googling her symptoms, which included vomiting, night sweats, and weight loss. She then got in touch with her doctor again and scheduled an in-person visit so that she could get a blood test.
She went directly to the hospital after the test produced “abnormal” results, where she was informed that she had leukemia. Gateshead, Tyne, and Wear resident Chloe stated: “Everyone is familiar with their own body, therefore I had a gut feeling it was a major issue.
“The physicians were blaming other factors, but I was convinced they were mistaken. “When I searched for my symptoms on Google, such as night sweats, exhaustion, bruises, and so forth, leukemia was the top result, according to the DailyMail.
“Everyone thought I was crazy when I stated it, but I knew I wasn’t because I checked and discovered that I had every symptom listed on the entire website. “When the doctor said that, I believed I was going to pass away.
Added her: “After a bone marrow biopsy, I was informed that I just had a few weeks to live. “My blood was filled with cancer throughout. Doctors admitted to me that they were unsure of whether chemotherapy would be beneficial but were prepared to attempt it.”
In an effort to find a bone marrow donor, Chloe underwent six cycles of chemotherapy and was added to the Anthony Nolan registry. She was able to receive a bone marrow transplant in October 2020 when a perfect match was discovered.
She got another bone marrow sample to confirm that her new cells had functioned after a successful operation, and she subsequently learned she was cancer-free. Said Chloe: “When I got the news, I grabbed my son and hugged him tightly.
“Knowing that everything had ended was great; it had been the nicest day ever. “In March 2021, I rang the bell. It is an incredible sensation. I was holding my young son in my arms.”
Chloe is currently afflicted with Graft vs Host disease, which develops when certain subsets of white blood cells from donor bone marrow or stem cells attack her own body cells. She uttered: “When I spoke to my donor in March 2023, I was overcome with emotion.
“We were conversing as though we had known each other for our entire lives. No one will comprehend our connection, but it exists. “We will always be connected by that tie; he is the reason I am still alive.
“I’m filled with gratitude and thanks. To experience this is preferable to not being here at all. “I am living to share my experience, so it is a bittersweet scenario.”
