Cancer
FILE PHOTO: A patient receives chemotherapy treatment for cancer.REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
  • Alix was diagnosed with lung cancer after coming down with a cough.

  • She couldn't climb stairs as her cancer got worse.

  • Targeted therapy is not a cure for her cancer.

A 29-year-old woman in the UK was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer after she struggled to breathe and cough.

Alix Burnard said that she was sent home with cough syrup and no diagnosis the first time she contacted her doctor.

She said she began to feel unwell in March 2021. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics after she developed swelling around her neck and scurvy. She said that they wouldn't see her in the office because of carbon dioxide.

Burnard's symptoms got worse in the spring. She said she had lost so much weight that her clothes didn't fit and she would often cough.

She told the British media outlet that she was struggling to breathe. I could not leave the house without a cup to cough up phlegm.

She was sent to the emergency department for testing after she was seen by her doctor. The test wasn't positive. At her next hospital visit, Burnard was told that she had something in her lungs.

She was treated for pneumonia, but her cancer was deemed incurable 

She said doctors began speaking to her differently after Burnard'sCT Scan. They told her she had cancer but didn't know what it was.

Pneumonia took a toll on Burnard's lungs.

After her initial scans, she was sent home for a couple of weeks.

Things got really bad in those two weeks. I was so weak, I couldn't stand. My boyfriend had to take me up and down the stairs because it was hard for me to do.

A type of cancer called adenocarcinoma was found in Burnhard when she came back. Doctors told her that the cancer was terminal.

Burnard said she was sad at the news. I told a friend that I was likely to die of this disease someday.

She's on medication to keep her cancer from spreading further

Burnard was shuttled between the cancer ward and intensive care when she returned to the hospital. She took some time to think about what happened.

She said that she would be living with cancer eventually. I wouldn't be able to take care of my dog. I didn't have the strength to walk myself.

She hopes that a cocktail of drugs will give her some time back. She said she began a new treatment called crizotinib in June of 2022.

I hope this gives me more time than my previous treatments. She told the mirror that she wanted to live her life as well as she could.

Burnard plans to travel, spend time in nature, and surround herself with loved ones when she leaves. She's talking about preventative screenings.

If you have a persistent cough, please don't ignore it because you can get lung cancer. It is possible to save your life if you speak with your doctor.

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