Izzy Darnes also put bruising down to ‘being clumsy’
Izzy Darnes(Image: Izzy Darnes/SWNS)
A young woman was diagnosed with blood cancer after initially dismissing her symptoms as hay fever. Izzy Darnes, 21, thought she was ‘too young for cancer’ before being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in June last year.
She had felt lethargic for around a week before and had put down a rash on her skin as being down to having hay fever. Izzy also thought that the bruises that also appeared were down to bumping into things while she was redecorating her bedroom. After brushing off the symptoms, she is now urging other young people to get checked if they’re worried about their health.
Izzy, of Narborough, Leicestershire, said: “I had no energy to do anything, which wasn’t like me. I also had these massive dark bruises that wouldn’t heal and a petechiae rash (a cluster of small pinpoint red, purple or brown spots that appear on your skin), both of which I originally put down to something else. I initially thought the rash was down to hay fever and I assumed the bruises were from being clumsy when moving things around when decorating my bedroom.”
After first trying unsuccessfully to get a GP appointment on the Friday before her diagnosis, her condition worsened over the weekend. Trying again on the Monday, she was this time able to get one, where she was promptly sent on to the GP assessment unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary for further checks, having developed a high temperature.
Izzy, who worked in local governance before her diagnosis, said: “Even at this point, I never thought that what I was facing was cancer. In my head, I was far too young for that.”
After several tests, Izzy was eventually diagnosed with ALL. Izzy, now 22, soon began months of gruelling chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with treatment due to finish in April. She suffered several complications and side effects, including a serious stomach infection, being left with medical PTSD from her experiences and ongoing mobility issues, which left her unable to walk for a month.
She said: “I was really poorly and I couldn’t walk. I had to be carried up the stairs because my legs didn’t work. I had to have a wheelchair and I’ve got a crutch as my legs aren’t quite there yet, because I couldn’t use them for a month. Having my independence taken from me really hurt – one minute life was completely normal, then the next I’m lying in hospital unable to move, relying on other people for everything.”
Izzy has since been fundraising for The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, which has been helping her on her cancer journey. She has raised more than £3,700 already to help give her a “purpose” at a time when she’s not been able to work.
Izzy said: “I think I needed something to do because I couldn’t work. I get along with all my colleagues and have missed the buzz of the office.
“I’ve missed getting up in the morning and having a purpose. So, having Izzy’s Legacy, it’s something for me to do. I can pick it up and put it down, but it’s something that’s mine.
“It’s my thing and no one can take it from me. I’ve made it my mission to share my story, as people need to be aware of cancer in young people.
“If just one person went to the doctors because they have heard my story and it means they can catch their cancer early and get diagnosed quicker, instead of leaving it for three months where it could become more aggressive and harder to treat, then it’s worth it.”
Izzy says her diagnosis has given her a new perspective on life and made her a better person.
She added: “I think having cancer makes you think of life as that bit more precious and it probably makes you more compassionate toward people, too.”
To support or find out more about Izzy’s Legacy visit the website.