Doctors dismissed her symptoms as 'just anxiety'—until a scan revealed the life-saving truth
Women’s health concerns are often attributed to emotions or mental health rather than given a clear diagnosis. When a patient raises concerns, having those symptoms dismissed by medical professionals can lead to negligence that the patient ultimately suffers from. Sharing a similar ordeal, Tameika McBride revealed on August 15 that years of unexplained symptoms being dismissed eventually led to the discovery of a deadly illness.
30-year-old Tameika McBride took to her TikTok account to share a revelation about how a devastating diagnosis revealed the truth behind those unexplained symptoms that existed for years. She revealed that she was told her issues were anxiety-related by doctors, but she knew it was more than that. An ultrasound scan after many years showed that the 30-year-old had thyroid cancer. Sharing her story with Newsweek, McBride revealed that she had been experiencing several symptoms since her teen years, including anxiety, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, and unexplained weight gain, which were all signs of thyroid cancer. At 29, when McBride decided to get an ultrasound, the truth was revealed to her.
"I just sat in shock when the doctor told us it was cancer," she said. "I had gone to my appointment for my ultrasound results on my own because I didn't believe it was going to be this bad."
McBride's family was devastated by the news, as she had lost her mother-in-law to cancer; hence, she was terrified of the worst outcome. After her diagnosis, McBride underwent a full thyroidectomy and a left modified radical neck dissection, where 34 lymph nodes were removed. She also learned she had Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disease that is connected to her cancer.
In a study co-authored by Kathleene T. Ulanday, Maxim Topaz, Jeanette Shekelle, Marley Gibbons, Desiree Walker, Paula M. Castaño, Amanda Nixon, Stacy Lewis, Mary Beth Terry, and Lauren C. Houghton in 2025 for Breast Cancer Research, it was found that many women described delays in diagnosis, interactions with healthcare providers where they felt dismissed, with initial symptoms being overlooked, and eventual diagnoses made at more advanced disease stages.
According to the data, around 81% of young adults self-detected their breast cancer rather than it being discovered during a clinical breast exam, while 70% reported dissatisfaction with care due to delays at multiple "crossroads" in the diagnostic process. After Tameika’s video went viral, many TikTok users expressed their concern over the dismissal of women’s health.
@happi.3 commented, "So sick of useless doctors diagnosing women with ‘anxiety’ all the damn time. When will they take us seriously?"
@raeren3617 commented, "Same. Doctors don’t look hard enough for thyroid cancer until it spreads." @charlotteflint23 commented, "I’m in the same boat as you. Bloods do not pick up thyroid cancer."
You can follow Tameika McBride (@tameikamcbride) on her TikTok for more insights on her journey.