A RADIOGRAPHER at Worcestershire Royal with Hodgkin's Lymphoma said she missed telltale symptoms despite diagnosing cancer patients.
Lizzie Bentley, from Great Witley, said she could not believe she did not realise something was wrong sooner despite talking to patients about what to look out for.
The 30-year-old is a therapeutic radiographer at the hospital's Oncology Centre and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in May last year.
It forced her to postpone her wedding plans as she went for treatment at the hospital department she works at.
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Miss Bentley said: “When I listed my symptoms, I couldn't believe I did not realise something was wrong sooner, but it is so easy to attribute all these individual symptoms to something else.
"I didn’t see my symptoms as being connected until after I was diagnosed. Then it seemed obvious."
She had experienced a number of symptoms such as weight loss, serious fatigue, unexplained bruising, chest pain, breathlessness, insomnia with night sweats and intense itching.
When she visited her GP they sent her for more tests at the hospital.
She added: “Despite spending all my adult life working in an Oncology setting, I didn’t recognise the symptoms of blood cancer in myself.
"It's important to be aware of any new or worrying symptoms, and if something in your body doesn’t feel right, speak to a GP so they can investigate.”
Miss Bentley returned to work after beating the disease but described the unique situation of being treated by her colleagues and friends.
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“It’s strange to be relieved by a cancer diagnosis, but given my professional background, I knew what I had was likely to be treatable," she said.
"I also felt comforted that I knew I’d be receiving treatment in a familiar environment from a kind and competent team."
Within a week, Miss Bentley started chemotherapy treatment at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
However, across her course of treatment, she needed to be admitted to the hospital for three separate stays due to sepsis and mucositis and required resuscitation, having been found collapsed and unresponsive at home.
In October, Miss Bentley went into remission.
Miss Bentley added: “Being treated by the same department that I work in was a unique experience that’s allowed me to gain a different perspective.
Now I can continue in my career using my first-hand knowledge to help support others with cancer through their treatment and further improve the service I work in.
"I wouldn’t have gotten through my treatment without the kindness and support of my colleagues.
“The whole hospital team has been fantastic from diagnosis through to follow-up.
"I wouldn't want my care anywhere else, they have been incredibly supportive and tolerant of my '20 questions' personality."
Miss Bentley has resumed everyday life, has re-planned her wedding day, and rescheduled her participation in the British Swimming Championships.
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