When Carla Palmer felt a small lump on her left arm three years ago, she did what anyone would do and went to see a doctor.
The 41-year-old, from Salford, was told she probably had a swollen lymph node from a previous infection and the pea-size bump would go down over time.
But when the lump still remained six months later, a friend advised her to seek a second opinion. Unable to sleep from worry, Dolly Parton tribute act Carla went straight to A&E that night.
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At hospital, Carla was told she had a swollen lymph node again and that the bump was nothing to worry about. “I was completely happy with the explanation they gave me,” she told the Manchester Evening News.
Reassured her health was fine, Carla continued on with her daily life. The second opinion meant she was not alarmed when new lumps started appearing under her skin, believing they were just more harmless swollen glands.
Sadly, that could not have been further from the truth. When Carla began experiencing further symptoms including fatigue and night sweats, she decided to return to her GP again.
That’s when she discovered she had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma – and the disease is now incurable.
“I’m disgusted,” singer Carla continued. “It made me feel hurt because if we had caught it at stage one, it’s considered curable.
“I believe that when I went to the doctor, it was stage one because it was the only lump I had at the time.
“I thought because I’d had a second opinion, I was completely fine. When I got another [lump], I thought to myself, ‘I know what this is.’
“With Covid and the fact I already had two opinions, I didn’t feel like I could go back again. But when the other symptoms started, I had to go back.”
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting immune system.
The main symptom of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is swollen glands that do not go away. The main treatments are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and anti-cancer medicines.
Following her diagnosis on July 11, 2022, Carla was placed on a watch and wait scheme hoping she would not need treatment for many years.
Sadly, following a scan this January, doctors discovered the cancer had grown significantly and Carla was started on an immediate treatment plan including chemotherapy.
Though her condition is incurable, it’s hoped the treatment will reduce the size of her cancer, ease her symptoms and improve her quality of life.
Carla says she doesn’t want to know her prognosis. “I haven’t asked them and I don’t want to know,” she added. “I want to concentrate on what’s in front of me.”
Recalling the moment she received her diagnosis, she added: “I felt fear, denial and like I was let down.
“We started talking about treatment plans and I started my treatment in May. I wanted to wait for as long as I could because I’m aware it would make me ill and I didn’t want people to see me looking ill.
“I’m exhausted. But I’m trying to keep positive and I try not to let people know how hard it is because I want to ease people’s fears about cancer in general.
“I think everyone has a different relationship with the word cancer and I’m trying to use my platform to break people’s stereotypes
“Since my diagnosis, the NHS have been wonderful. I can’t fault them. I want people to trust them because when my diagnosis was caught, they were straight on it.”
A self-employed singer, Carla does not receive sick pay from work or other benefits including paid time for hospital appointments.
A Gofundme has been set up to help her through this difficult time. To donate, follow the link by clicking here.
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