A young woman says she was given news of a devastating diagnosis over the phone after being told she had likely pulled a muscle. Emma Herring was diagnosed with aggressive cancer after her symptoms were brushed off as a "pulled muscle from having a panic attack" and she was advised to take co-codamol.

Emma was also told she was "too young for cancer" and that her symptoms were most likely linked to anxiety, before eventually receiving a stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis — delivered over the phone while she was at work. Having suffered chest pains since April last year, Emma repeatedly sought medical help but claims she was misdiagnosed on numerous occasions. She also claimed that her age meant her symptoms were continually dismissed, with doctors attributing them to a possible pulled muscle, anxiety, pneumonia and even arthritis.

Emma, who works as an optical assistant at Specsavers, was eventually referred to the University Hospital of North Durham for further tests in early November. The very next day, she received the devastating news that she had a seven-centimetre tumour in her chest, a four-centimetre tumour in her neck, and that the blood cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.

• 'I'm a cardiologist and there are three things I would never eat or drink'


• 'I drank SIX bottles of wine EVERY DAY - until something horrific happened'

Emma is now calling on all young women to trust their instincts and seek a second opinion whenever something doesn't feel right.

Emma, from Durham, said: "I knew something wasn't right as I had been suffering these pains in my chest since April. I booked into my GP and saw a nurse practitioner who told me it was probably down to anxiety.

"Then around May time I had not improved, so I called 111, who advised I go to A&E for an ECG and I got an outpatient appointment with GP. No ECG was done and he told me it was likely I had pulled a muscle while having a panic attack.

"I have a history of anxiety, but I hadn't even mentioned having a panic attack, so I don't know where that came from. In August I had an X-ray and they could see a mass, - but (they) prescribed me antibiotics for suspected pneumonia as they discounted cancer due to my age.

"Around six weeks later there was improvement and my bloods were all over the place - but this time they mentioned arthritis. I was a bit confused why they were mentioning arthritis when I was having pains in my chest at the age of 22.

"After having another X-ray and CT scan in November, I went back to work the next day, as I'm not normally one to call in sick. But before I could start my shift at 8.30am they called me up over the phone and broke the news to me (that) it was cancer on the phone.

"It wasn't done in a consultation room with doctors, nurses or with any other support - just over the phone. We went to hospital and that is when we were told it was stage 4 cancer, the most advanced stage you can get, and I didn't believe it. It was and still is the scariest thing I have ever gone through in my life."

Emma commenced intensive chemotherapy straight away at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle owing to the advanced and aggressive character of the cancer. What was originally planned as four cycles has since been prolonged to six and she is presently midway through cycle five.

Within three weeks of beginning treatment, she lost her long flowing red hair - "part of her identity" - and something she said she was not prepared for.

Emma added: "My hair was my identity and I wasn't prepared for how quickly it happened. I also didn't have a chance to freeze my eggs and there's a chance I could end up infertile.

"Because of the aggressiveness of my cancer, we just had to go straight into chemo, so they didn't have time to do that for me. It is upsetting thinking I may not be able to have children or may get an early menopause too.

"The whole experience has really affected me mentally, but also physically as well. I have to sometimes get my mum to help me out of the shower and I am 22.

"I just never ever expected to get cancer, especially not at this age. I was finally getting to a happy place in my life, got my own flat, and now it has all gone away from me.

"I've moved back in with my parents, but I've only been out of hospital for around four or five days over the last few months. I used to enjoy going out with my friends, but now my life is on hold.

"It just feels like it is a waiting game as we don't fully know what is going to happen. I might need an operation as I had sepsis recently and they think the infection is quite deep-rooted.

"When I do go out of hospital, my bloods drop due to the treatment, so even when I go out shopping I have to be really careful about infections. I have always been relatively healthy, apart from the odd cold, I haven't been ill like this before - it is just absolutely crazy.

"It is just frustrating because I knew something was up, all the signs were there. But because of my age, we just didn't think it would be as bad as it is and so progressive.

"I just take each day as it comes - you have good days and bad days and try to even approach the bad days with positivity. I have realised worrying or being scared or sad will not change anything and I'm just being positive.

"I just want others to be aware of the symptoms, to seek a second opinion if things don't feel right, don't be afraid to bug them, like I did. People need to listen to their bodies. I have also had remarkable support from the Teenage Cancer Trust and I have to thank them immensely because I don't think I would have been able to do it without them."

Now unable to work while undergoing treatment, Emma is facing mounting financial strain. She has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help meet essential costs, including travelling to and from hospital.

Gill Hunt, interim chief nurse for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are very sorry to hear about Ms Herring's diagnosis and the distress this will have caused her and her family. We understand how frightening this experience must have been.

"While we are unable to comment on the specific details of an individual patient's care, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with Ms Herring directly, to listen to her experience and ensure appropriate support is in place. We encourage anyone who feels their symptoms are not improving, or who remains concerned about their health, to seek further medical advice. We are committed to learning from patient experiences and continually improving the care we provide."

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.