Natalie Deakin, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, says she is “really grateful” for her car’s seatbelt – because she believes it helped her spot a key symptom of her stage-two Hodgkin Lymphoma
A mum says her car seatbelt for saving her life – as the “‘irritating” strap led her to discover a cancerous lump hidden in her neck.
When the device began causing Natalie Deakin discomfort on her drive home from the weekly shop, she tried to readjust its position. However, the 34-year-old woman felt a hard lump on the right side of her neck.
And so the mum of two immediately booked an appointment with her GP who ordered a series of tests on the golf ball-sized mass. A CT scan and biopsy then revealed Natalie had Hodgkin Lymphoma – an uncommon cancer which develops in the lymphatic system.
Natalie, who is a hairdresser, said: “Never in a million years did I think I’d be saying I had cancer at 34… I feel like the seat belt has probably factored in saving my life, which is strange. I’m really grateful for it. Things could’ve been very different for me.
“People should be very vigilant over our bodies. Check yourself all the time. If you notice any sort of change and think that’s not normal, get it checked out.”
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Natalie had experienced no symptoms or changes in her health in the lead up to her cancer diagnosis, other than discovering the lump in her neck in her car. The mum, who is due to begin chemotherapy treatment, continued: “Life was normal. I had no symptoms, nothing. There were no changes in my body. I felt very fit and healthy. I didn’t have any other symptoms. If I hadn’t found the lump, I would’ve just carried on with life as normal.
“I was on my way back from the supermarket after doing the weekly shop and I kept thinking the seatbelt was really irritating my neck.
“I moved it away a few times and repositioned it but thought what is it doing? Then all of a sudden, I moved it away from me and touched my neck and felt this big mass in my neck. I just thought what on earth is that? I just remember the fear, anxiety and sickness that went through me.”
Cancer Research UK provide details on lymphoma
The salon owner, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, has stage-two Hodgkin Lymphoma. Around 2,100 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK each year, according to the NHS.
Typically, swelling in the neck, armpit or groin is an early sign of the cancer. This is caused by an excess of affected lymphocytes (white blood cells) collecting in a lymph node.
But in Natalie’s case, the lump was her first sign – and she is now imploring others to check their own bodies for any abnormal changes. She added: “I was thinking about my own funeral. It was awful to think that – I didn’t think I’d be thinking about that until I was in my 80s.
“We had so many wonderful things booked for this year but none of them can go ahead. My life has come to a standstill. How can you live your life normally, go shopping, find a lump and your whole life falls apart in that one second.”