Man reveals the 'embarrassing' early symptom he ignored that led to his cancer diagnosis at the age of 25

Often, our body tries to warn us ahead of any serious issues so we can seek medical attention on time. Unfortunately, many of us are unaware of these common symptoms or ignore them out of embarrassment. Dilan Patel (@dnafitnessuk), a health coach, revealed in an Instagram video that he experienced a similar issue. The then-25-year-old mentioned an initial "embarrassing" symptom he ignored that eventually built up and led to a cancer diagnosis. Sharing his story, the man mentioned that things were quite normal for him like any other young adult.

“I was 25 years old, living my life like any other young adult—working hard, working out, hanging with friends and trying to figure out my future.” Amid this hustle, he recalled “something strange” taking place. Patel disclosed the one unusual happening that he began noticing while sleeping at night. “I’d wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I mean soaked,” he said. The coach further explained that this wasn’t just weather-changing sweat or so but would happen several times every night. Moreover, he’d wake up to find his clothes and bed drenched in sweat. 

Unfortunately, Patel dismissed the sign. He presumed it was due to the weather or the environment.  “At first, I just thought, ‘Maybe I’m getting too hot under the covers?’ So I brushed it off,” he noted. It took him months of the recurring sweat problem to realize that something was seriously wrong and that’s when he visited a doctor. “Nothing could’ve prepared me for what they told me. At just 25 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” Patel revealed. He had 5 tumors spreading to his lungs.

“I couldn’t believe it. I’d spent so long brushing off my symptoms, convincing myself they weren’t a big deal. But my body had been screaming at me for almost 2 years,” he said. The coach added that when he recounted his health and his body, he noticed other unusual symptoms that had plagued him. “I was exhausted all the time but I just thought it was because I was working long hours. My skin was unbelievably itchy—so much so that I carried lotion with me everywhere. I was convinced it was just dry skin. I even noticed lumps on my neck, but I thought they were my muscles growing from all my workouts at the gym,” he explained. 

“Everything had an explanation—or so I thought,” Patel added. When his sweating and other issues prolonged for months, he decided to visit a doctor and was baffled to hear the upsetting diagnosis. Patel mentioned that he took the necessary measures and paid careful attention to his treatment and his body to heal and get back to health. Sharing a striking message from his terrifying experience, he wrote, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it's to pay attention to your body. Those little signs and symptoms? They’re there for a reason. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

You can follow Dilan Patel (@dnafitnessuk) on Instagram for more content on health.