Georgie Swallow, a London-based content creator, was only 28 when her life took a devastating turn: she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. The aggressive treatment triggered early menopause, robbing her of the chance to have children.
Looking back, Georgie admits she ignored several critical warning signs for nearly 18 months — brushing them off as stress or simple exhaustion.
“I didn’t realize how seriously ill I was until the diagnosis hit,” she said.
The wake-up call came after a two-week battle with what she thought was the flu. “I went back to work, sat down at my desk, and felt something strange,” Georgie recalled. “There was a lump the size of a peach on the side of my neck.”
Now, she’s urging others not to make the same mistake — and to pay close attention to their bodies before it’s too late.
At just 28 years old, Georgie Swallow believed she was simply run-down from work and stress. The London-based content creator never imagined the real cause of her symptoms would be stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma.
“I naively thought I was wasting everyone’s time by going to the doctor,” Georgie admits. “Even when I found a lump the size of a peach on my neck, I didn’t think it was serious.”
For over a year and a half, she ignored the warning signs — itching so intense it kept her up at night, constant fatigue, and night sweats that soaked her sheets. Doctors initially attributed the symptoms to allergies, stress, or urticaria. “No cream or lifestyle change helped,” she said.
It wasn’t until she returned to work after a bad bout of the flu that things took a turn. “I was at my desk and suddenly noticed the lump. That’s when everything changed.”
The diagnosis was devastating — not just because of the cancer itself, but because the treatment triggered early menopause, robbing her of the chance to have children.
“Cancer can take so much from you,” Georgie says. “But losing my fertility before I even had the chance to try… that was one of the hardest parts.”
Now 32, Georgie is speaking out to raise awareness of the early signs of lymphoma, which are often subtle and easy to dismiss. The three symptoms she regrets ignoring most?
- Severe, unexplained itching — “I would scratch until my skin bled.”
- Drenching night sweats — “I’d wake up soaked, night after night.”
- Persistent fatigue — “I was always exhausted, catching colds nonstop.”
“Lymphoma symptoms can seem mild at first,” she warns. “That’s why so many people, like me, get diagnosed late.”
She also hopes to shed light on the emotional toll of early menopause — something few young women talk about. “At 28, none of my friends could relate. As supportive as they were, it was isolating.”
Today, Georgie is using her voice to educate others — encouraging people to listen to their bodies, push for answers, and never dismiss what might seem like “small” symptoms.