Young adult cancer
"You're too young to worry about that"
A lump that did not go away, and learning to go back when something still felt wrong.
I was 27 when I noticed a lump in my neck. I assumed it was a swollen gland from a cold, and so did everyone I mentioned it to. When it was still there a month later, I booked an appointment.
The first doctor was kind and suggested waiting a few more weeks, which was reasonable. We agreed that if it had not gone down, I would come back. It had not, so I went back, and this time I was referred for an ultrasound and a biopsy.
The diagnosis was lymphoma. Treatment was tough, but it worked, and I am now in follow-up. The part I think about most is how close I came to not going back because I felt I was making a fuss.
If something still feels wrong after the time you agreed to wait, going back is not a fuss. It is what that plan was for.