Sumbul Ari tells PEOPLE she was dismissed by multiple doctors, including one who told her all she needed to do was moisturize
Credit: Courtesy of Sumbul Ari (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- A young woman suffered from excessive itching and eventually self-diagnosed herself with cancer
- Sumbul Ari was dismissed by multiple doctors, including one who told her all she needed to do was moisturize
- “Being told I had cancer was relieving. I finally had an answer. But I was very frustrated at all the doctors who dismissed me, and very, very angry,” she tells PEOPLE
A young woman's excessive itching was dismissed by numerous doctors. Despite feeling helpless, she still never gave up — and she eventually self-diagnosed herself with cancer.
Sumbul Ari tells PEOPLE exclusively she was "fit, healthy and very active with a background in running half marathons, powerlifting and indoor rowing" before her symptoms began.
"I was committing to the gym six days a week, I’ve never been a smoker or excessive drinker, I would get eight to nine hours of sleep a night, and I rarely got sick," she further explains. "I never had issues with my health before this, and regular blood checks were done every year, always in range and normal."
When her first symptom, itching, began, Ari, 26, says, "At first I thought I was having a reaction to something — perfume, deodorant, washing products, shower products. I started an elimination process, but nothing helped."
She also suffered from "night sweats" and "acne," so Ari chalked them up to "hormonal changes." But when more symptoms appeared, including fatigue, loss of appetite, voice changes that would last weeks, recurring skin infections and brain fog, Ari knew it had to be something more severe.
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Credit: Courtesy of Sumbul Ari
"I went to the first doctor after two months of excessive itching. I told him I would wake up in the middle of the night and scratch myself to death because it felt like there were things crawling in my skin," Ari recalls.
Detailing that she "had no rashes," Aril tells PEOPLE the medical professional responded with a less-than-ideal solution. "He told me, 'Moisturise your skin. It’s probably just dry skin,' and he blamed it on the hot and humid climate," she says.
When she visited a second doctor, this time for an infection she had, Ari says she mentioned her persistent symptoms and was treated for the infection, as well as for scabies. But when she went back two days later with her issues unresolved, Ari says that doctor also shrugged off her symptoms.
"I will never forget the exact words: 'It’s just one of those things,' " she recalls.
Credit: Courtesy of Sumbul Ari
With her issues persisting — and despite her blood work coming back "completely normal and in range" — Ari admits, "I honestly gave up." Still, she looked into her symptoms on her own, going down what she described as a "Reddit rabbit hole every night."
"I suspected mould, searched my home and removed any mould. I suspected athlete's foot, tried home remedies I found on Reddit. Nothing. I tried creams, antihistamines, sleeping pills: nothing worked," she tells PEOPLE.
Ari eventually visited more doctors — one when she thought she had parasites, and another whom she sought antibiotics from — and during a colonoscopy with one practitioner, who was a naturopath, she received help that made her "finally feel like things were looking up."
However, "after three weeks, I noticed the itching coming back, and this time, it was worse," Ari says.
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At that point in time, Ari had also developed a lump in her neck. When she did a Google search to look into it, the results changed everything. "As soon as I read itchy skin, night sweats and fatigue, I knew I had cancer," she tells PEOPLE.
Eventually, after more doctor's visits, her self-diagnosis was confirmed to be Hodgkin's Lymphoma. "I didn’t care if it was cancer, I just wanted the itching to stop and wanted a full night's sleep," she says. "I was so emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted by that point. I was at an absolute breaking point."
"Being told I had cancer was relieving. I finally had an answer," Ari continues. "But I was very frustrated at all the doctors who dismissed me, and very, very angry."
She adds, "There is nothing more frustrating than knowing there is something incredibly wrong, but being brushed off by the people who are supposed to help."
Credit: Courtesy of Sumbul Ari
Ari is currently in the middle of chemotherapy treatments. "Since my first chemo session, all my symptoms I was experiencing have gone," she says. "I can’t believe I am saying this, but I sleep every single night like a baby, and I no longer scratch myself."
"Every single morning I wake up grateful for a full night's sleep," Ari adds. "I forgot what it felt like to wake up well rested."
She continues, "I have been feeling really good since chemo. I haven’t had any nausea, side effects, reactions or sickness. A bit of tiredness, but I just take a nap."
Ari, who works as a user-generated content creator and an event content creator, says she remains active too. "I am moving my body every day, walking, running, rowing, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, sleeping very well, and, of course, staying positive," she explains.
Credit: Courtesy of Sumbul Ari
Looking at her health journey, Ari tells PEOPLE, "I finally got my answer because I never stopped advocating for myself, despite no one listening."
"Never stop advocating for yourself when you know something is deeply wrong," she continues. "Keep trying until someone listens."
Adds Ari, "I started to believe life wasn’t worth living, and I genuinely couldn’t continue any longer. And then my answers came, which I am so grateful for. Do not give up."
As for her advice for others who are now facing or may face a similar situation in the future, Ari says, "Let go of the pressure, the timelines and the expectations you once had for yourself. You don’t need to carry the weight of everything right now. This is your time to be 'selfish'min the best way possible — to focus on your healing, your peace and regulating your nervous system without guilt."
"I’ve learned that when you strip everything back, what really matters becomes so clear. So focus on getting through each day as it comes. Be present, lean into the people you love and allow yourself to rest without feeling like you’re falling behind," she continues. "You’re not behind, you’re just being asked to move through life differently right now, and that’s more than okay."
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