Rhiannon Douglas, 21, was later told the rash on her legs was a rare indicator of her Hodgkin's lymphoma.
What this woman once thought was a razor burn turned out to be a rare indication that she had cancer.
When Rhiannon Douglas, 21, of Staffordshire, England, noticed red patches up and down her legs, she was quick to dismiss it.
"At first, I just thought the rash was caused by shaving," Douglas said in an interview with Caters News. "It made sense as it was my cousin's wedding a few days before, and because I was wearing a dress, I had shaved my legs."
She said she started to realize something was wrong when the blotches began spreading, and her legs swelled and burned so much she had trouble wearing pants, and couldn't wear shoes other than flip flops.
For months, she was passed from doctor to doctor, until she reported pains in her joints and back. She was admitted into the emergency room in November, and eventually diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
"When I was told I had cancer, I felt numb and never thought I would hear those words at just 20 years old," Douglas said.
Doctors then told her the rash was an uncommon symptom of the mass growing on her chest, and had she not noticed it in time, it may have become too late for treatment.
"I had never heard or seen of this before, so I was completely shocked when I found out," Douglas said.
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Since the diagnosis, she said the tumors have shrunk on their own, without the use of chemotherapy treatments. She credits the success to different natural remedies and a vegan diet, but continues to follow up with check-ups and scans at the hospital.
"I have a really positive outlook, and I'm hoping to be in remission by the summer," Douglas said. "It's also really important not to put a death sentence on the word 'cancer.'"
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