Woman diagnosed with cancer after months of pain

Georgia McLennan, 24, was in pain for months before doctors discovered cancer in her spleen and liver. Photo / Instagram

Georgia McLennan, who was suffering severe pains for more than three months before being diagnosed with cancer, said she always knew something was wrong.

The 24-year-old from the Gold Coast in Queensland spent months going back and forth to doctors appointments before she was told the severe pain she'd been battling was cancer.

"I found out later they thought I was going to die that weekend," McLennan told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

"I didn't even have my mum there because I hadn't really worried it was cancer."

After baffling doctors prior to the diagnosis, McLennan said it reached a point where they questioned if the pain was actually all in her head.

"I was in that much pain I was going once or twice a week to the doctor … It was at this point he asked if perhaps it was all in my head," she explained.

Eventually, a doctor determined that the nursing student had tumours on her spleen and liver, but it wasn't until a PET scan was performed that the full extent of her condition was unveiled.

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🤞🏽

A post shared by Georgia McLennan (@georgialilym) on Oct 4, 2017 at 1:46am PDT

"(A) haematologist initially didn't feel it was lymphoma as I didn't have all the usual symptoms such as extreme weight loss, rashes, fevers and drenching night sweats," she said, noting that her stomach was so bloated she looked pregnant.

"When I saw the scan I realised this is very bad ...(But) the only time I cried throughout the whole ordeal was when I had to tell my parents ... all these doctors couldn't believe I was even alive and how positive I was."

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When I was diagnosed with cancer I was so scared about losing my hair but I have realised it literally means nothing and I'm soooo lucky to receive chemotherapy. It's just a little cold and I look like a vampire ❄️#lymphoma

A post shared by Georgia McLennan (@georgialilym) on Jul 2, 2017 at 1:32am PDT

Diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, Georgia had to endure three months of chemotherapy and spinal injections each week.

In August, she had her 10th and final round of chemotherapy and spinal injections and is now in remission.

She now hopes to use her story to help raise awareness for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Care for Cancer lunch, which will raise funds for its patient transport service and chemotherapy chairs.