When Zee was struck by extreme tiredness she blamed work but a killer was ravaging her insides with just one subtle clue
LIKE most of us, when Zee Valentina began feeling more tired than normal, she - and even her doctors – dismissed it as nothing more than the result of late nights and stress.
But little did they know, a deadly disease was quietly tearing through her body, and only an innocent, everyday habit would reveal the devastating truth.
Zee, a 31-year-old project manager from London, was no stranger to late nights at the office - often leaving after 9pm.
So when she began experiencing what she described as "debilitating" fatigue, it initially seemed like just another byproduct of her demanding career.
“I thought I probably just burned myself out and was overworked," she said.
"Even if I had 13 hours of sleep on the weekends, it wasn’t enough for me,” she added.
But everything changed in January 2023, when Zee signed up for a £20 coffee Pret subscription on a whim.
Instead of using it as a small way to treat herself, grabbing a coffee here and there, Zee would order several each day - maxing out her subscription.
"I’d have five coffees with double shots and would get the shakes but I was so desperate for help,” Zee sadi.
“Before that I would only have a maximum of two coffees.”
It was the fact that much caffeine failed to give her the boost she needed, ultimately made her stop and think.
"It was the biggest red flag," she said.
"Something more serious was going on.”
But it was only when two pea-sized lumps emerged as if out of nowhere from her neck that she decided to see a doctor.
"I told my GP all of my symptoms and he said I had anxiety and a lack of vitamin D," she explained.
"He brushed me off and told me to order vitamin D tablets. I started taking them for two months but I felt worse.”
However, when the tablets failed to work, Zee knew something far worse was going on inside her body.
“I just knew in my heart something was wrong," she said.
"I had a gut feeling and I was going to trust that because in my life my gut feeling has always been right.”
For months, she went back and forth to her GP, who continued to prescribe more vitamins but offered no real answers.
"I was thinking that whatever it is, it's now growing and brewing inside me,” she said.
Eventually, her persistence paid off, and she was referred to Hammersmith Hospital for a PET CT scan.
The scan revealed she had Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes.
It is not common, with around 2,100 people diagnosed every year in the UK.
"At this point, I was at work, I fell to the floor and started crying.
"Everything in my life came crashing down.
"I just felt like my entire world went dark.
"I wanted to go on holiday and train more, it was a new goal of mine to get fit and everything went to a standstill.”
HODGKIN lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes.
It is not common, with around 2,100 people diagnosed every year in the UK.
Hodgkin lymphoma can develop at any age, but it mostly affects people between 20 and 40 years of age and those over 75. Slightly more men than women are affected.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, on the other hand, is diagnosed in 13,000 new patients per year. It is more common as you get older, with over a third of cases diagnosed in people over the age of 75.
In Hodgkin lymphoma, B-lymphocytes (a particular type of lymphocyte) start to multiply in an abnormal way and begin to collect in certain parts of the lymphatic system, such as the lymph nodes (glands).
The affected lymphocytes lose their infection-fighting properties, making a person more vulnerable to infection.
Like all cancers, symptoms vary and can be vague. However, patients usually notice swelling in one or more lymph nodes.
This can be in any area of the body, but is often in the neck, armpit or groin.
The swelling is usually painless, although some people find that it aches.
Some people with Hodgkin lymphoma also have other more general symptoms. These can include:
- Night sweats
- Unintentional weight loss
- A high temperature (fever)
- A persistent cough or feeling of breathlessness
- Persistent itching of the skin all over the body
Source: Cancer Research UK and the NHS.
Following her diagnosis, Zee said she had six months of chemotherapy at Hammersmith Hospital, but it turned out to be unsuccessful.
Zee was 'devastated' and needed additional chemotherapy as well as a cellular transplant.
Zee said: "Sadly, the lymphoma had returned in my neck, chest, and liver. I was absolutely devastated. The doctors said they didn't expect this.
"I went into a deep depression. I wanted to live and see my future."
But in November 2024, Zee said she was given the "amazing" news that her cancer was in remission.
Zee said: "You are the only person that's going to fight for you.
"We get one life, one body, you shouldn't feel guilty for advocating for yourself.
"In November, I got the amazing news that I'm in remission.
"It's so easy to ignore it but if it's cancer, it grows. If I was taken seriously earlier I could have caught it at an earlier stage."
Rob McPherson, an amateur football player from Manchester, experienced stomach pain, diarrhoea and nausea.
He was diagnosed with bowel cancer and underwent treatment in 2017.
Rob was able to return to playing football months later and urged people to get checked if they don’t feel right.
Rob said “As a bowel cancer survivor, I would encourage everyone to contact your GP if you notice any unusual changes to your body – for me, it was having persistent stomach troubles for well over three weeks.
"My story shows that cancer can affect anyone no matter how active you are, and you should never put off getting checked if you feel that something isn’t right.
"Remember, you know your body best, so pay attention to any warning signs and get checked as soon as possible if you’re concerned.
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