When Ikea-employee, Chelsey La Frentz, went to her General Practitioner (GP) with ‘yellow’ eyes, she was told that they probably just looked that way because of the bright yellow uniform she was wearing when she went for her visit.
Despite also showing symptoms like not feeling well after eating or constant itching, her GP still doubted that it would be cancer; stating that it did not add up.
Early test results indicated that La Frentz’s liver had a problem. However, it was only after a visit to the Emergency Room, after becoming very sick, when she decided to get a diagnosis.
The emergency doctor examined her MRI results and speculated it to be cancer. Medics at Royal Adelaide Hospital later then confirmed to La Frentz that she had bile cancer; a type of cancer in the liver.
“The emergency doctor came up to me and my mum and said, ‘it’s not looking good, it looks like cancer’. I was numb.” She said
The surgery and chemotherapy had worked initially but the cancer returned and is now terminal. La Frentz is currently enduring chemotherapy and refuses to accept that she is going to die.
The 25 year old is currently backing a campaign which urges people to go and see their doctors if they have any symptoms similar to what she suffered, and despite the pandemic.
KNOW THE SIGNS
Medics fear thousands of Aussies do not know that they have cancer because they’re avoiding check-ups or screenings.
While it can occur in younger people, bile duct cancer is typically found in older adults, above the age of 70. This type of cancer may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
The chance of surviving for five years is 20 percent, according to Cancer Australia, and about 2,300 people die from the disease each year.
Symptoms can include jaundice, dark urine and pale stools, upper abdominal pain, persistent nausea and weight loss.
One of the most important things that every individual should know is that when it comes to taking control and prioritizing your health, being your own advocate can be a life-saving decision.