Doctors dismissed her symptoms as anxiety because she ‘looked healthy’ despite losing 84 lbs — her search for answers led to a devastating discovery
When it comes to health concerns, people instinctively turn to doctors for answers and accurate diagnoses. But for a 25-year-old woman in Scotland, that trust didn’t quite lead to the clarity she needed. Abby Maxwell was 22 when she consulted her local doctor four times in 2022, as per a New York Post report from Tuesday, March 24, 2026. She was prompted by extreme weight loss and other symptoms in less than a year. However, doctors dismissed the symptoms as mere anxiety, which proved to be much more serious the following year.
Maxwell had visited her local GP in February 2022. She lost 84 pounds in under a year and was suffering from regular bouts of nausea and vomiting. But when the doctors dismissed her concerns, linking those symptoms with anxiety, she felt “belittled, discouraged, and frustrated.” Doctors also determined her folic acid levels were so low that she was put on pills. Eventually, in December 2022, an ultrasound report for a lump under her arm and a biopsy raised suspicion of lymphoma. Within a month, Maxwell was diagnosed with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“When I was told it was most likely lymphoma, I just started crying and wanted to leave immediately,” said the Scottish woman. She also explained that she was sure something was wrong, but “never in a million years” did she think it was cancer. “I remember going in on one appointment and the GP said, ‘You look healthy, so you must be fine.’”
Earlier, when doctors linked her symptoms to anxiety, she insisted she “wasn’t feeling anxious during these sickness bouts.” However, when the diagnosis revealed the real cause, which was lymphoma, she began six cycles of chemotherapy at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. She also described her care at the center as "exceptional". “I actually felt vindicated that I wasn’t making it all up,” said Maxwell.
Lymphoma is a cancer that develops in lymphocytes, the white blood cells in the immune system that help fight infections. Each year, around 590,000 new lymphoma cases are diagnosed globally, with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma making up nearly 90% of them, according to a Cancer Research Institute study. In early-stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (stage 1), about 87% of patients survive at least five years, but that figure falls to roughly 63% in stage 4 as the disease progresses, as per a report by the Mayo Clinic.
Now cancer-free for over two and a half years, Abby is training as a complementary therapist and hopes to raise awareness about cancer in young people. She wants to make people aware that “cancer doesn’t end” after getting the all-clear and how important it is for young people to feel supported in the aftermath of the treatment. “There are the psychological effects after treatment ends, too, because you’re coming to terms with what’s just happened to you, and for me, the physical changes I had,” said the 25-year-old who had lost her hair and gained a lot of weight due to steroids during treatment.
Maxwell believes “a certain level of compassion” should be there for young people who have been through cancer. After being repeatedly dismissed despite her symptoms and instincts, Maxwell’s story now highlights the urgent need for better awareness of cancer in young people among healthcare professionals. “The earlier a diagnosis is made, the better chance there is that treatment will not only be effective but will come with fewer short- and long-term side effects,” said Ashley Ball-Gamble, CEO of The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, who is very thankful to Abby Maxwell for sharing her story.
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