Woman, 32, who thought she had eczema diagnosed with cancer

A woman who thought she had eczema has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Taylor Deanne Roy started getting itchy skin in the years before her cancer diagnosis.

She also experienced extreme tiredness and shortness of breath but thought her symptoms could be down to 'getting older'. Taylor had already been diagnosed with follicular eczema and wrongly believed her symptoms pains were nothing to worry about.

But she said her 'whole world stopped' when she discovered a large lump on her neck and later discovered she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Taylor said she now faces 'the fight of her life'.

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She said: "I have been struggling for three years with itchy skin that was diagnosed as follicular eczema. For two years I had become extremely tired and out of shape but I thought it was just part of being older.

"I started getting random pains that I blamed on myself. The lump on my neck is when I finally began to be taken seriously." Taylor had an ultrasound after she showed doctors the lump on her neck.

Results of a biopsy in October confirmed she had stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The cancer had also spread to her lungs and the bones in her spine.

Taylor said: "The moment I was told I had cancer it was as if the whole world around me stopped. I felt like nothing was real for a few minutes.

"I said "thank you" and left and as I drove home I had a complete breakdown. All I wanted was to be the best version of myself and to start a family of my own.

"Now, at 32, I find myself in the fight of my life." Taylor said she now experiences 'severe pain, nausea and exhaustion'.

Some days she struggles to get out of bed. She said: "My body is a stranger, betraying me in ways I never thought possible. Simple tasks that I once did without a second thought, are now sometimes nearly impossible.

"The hardest part is the feeling of losing myself - losing the independence I worked so hard to build. This isn’t how I saw my life turning out."

Just a few months before Taylor’s diagnosis, an electrical fire broke out at her home. She lost her house and all of her personal belongings.

But she said she has been showered with support from her family and friends. Taylor said: "My friends and family have shown up in every way they can, whether it's donations, making food for me, and showing up with a cupcake on my birthday.

"They have also sent onesies to replace the ones I lost in the house fire, and sent me other comfort items. They’ve done my laundry, helped me get around and checked in on me constantly.

"I’m beyond broken - physically, mentally, financially. I’ve reached a point where I need to ask for help because sometimes, no matter how strong we try to be, we can’t do it alone."

According to Cancer Research UK, almost 85 out of 100 people will survive for five years or more after being diagnosed. Taylor now uses her TikTok account to share her story and raise awareness.

In a post about the symptoms she ignored, she said that she wished she had mentioned them to her doctor sooner. Taylor said: "I think the most I can do with my circumstances is spread enough awareness to people to advocate for themselves and not give up when doctors don't listen.

"If I had been more pushy with doctors, I wouldn't be stage 4 right now."