One of the most shocking and amusing cases strikes us today.
A weird lump on the ankle of a bodybuilder has turned out to be terminal lung cancer, and she has only about 12 months to live.
The Bodybuilder, a woman named Nikki Jenkins, is a resident of Aintree, Merseyside.
She had no clue of cancer and thought that as time passes, the lump on her ankle will go away on its own. She experienced no symptoms and felt that it’s just a ‘second ankle bone.’
But as that lump began to grow bigger, she decides to consult a doctor.
Upon diagnosis by the hospital, it was revealed that, in reality, the lump was a rare type of tumor called a ‘pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma’.
One Foot In The Grave
To extract the lump and remove any potential threat to her life, Mr. Jenkins had undergone a surgery.
Unfortunately, after a few months, she was informed that cancer in her body has revived despite the surgery and is spread wildly to her lungs.
Furthermore, the doctors told her that this type of cancer is not incurable.
She was told that she might have just about 12 months to live.
Ms. Jenkins is now undergoing chemotherapy, and looking for private treatment is a hope to find a breakthrough for her disease.
Doctors told her that the lump on her ankle would disappear on its own, assuming it to be a cyst when she first visited the Accident and Emergency department in January.
When the lumps didn’t recover on its own, in May, Jenkins went back to medics and undergone further tests, including X-rays and a biopsy.
But this time, the unprecedented diagnosis report came up with cancer.
Doctors informed that Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma is a kind of sarcoma, a tumor in the soft tissue, which can grow almost anywhere in the body.
Symptoms of this cancer are persistent lumps, headaches, and nausea; bleeding in the urine, throat, nose, vagina or rectum; or abdominal pain.
To remove the tumor, Ms. Jenkins had an operation in the following weeks. The procedure was followed by a nine-hour surgery in which the dermis was taken from her thigh to cover the hole in her ankle where the tumor appeared.
After the completion of her cancer radiotherapy at Clatterbridge Hospital in Wirral, she was told that she is out of danger and shown a green flag.
However, just a few days later, on 3rd October, she went for a regular check-up. The check-up showed that cancer has survived and has spread to her lungs.
Doctors claimed that she had only one year left to live.
In a search for a ray of hope, even with the diagnosis and the finite alternatives available to her, Ms. Jenkins is now looking for treatment through private health care. So far, she has found an immunotherapy and proton therapy, which are available only privately.
An Influencer and Inspiration
Ms. Jenkins worked as a professional bikini fitness athlete and said that she has always been highly attentive and careful of health and fitness.
She often travels the world to take part in bikini bodybuilding competitions.
