I was dismissed as having conjunctivitis before a cancer diagnosis at 22 – even the optician didn’t spot it
A WOMAN who woke up with her eye bulging out of its socket was initially told by doctors she had conjunctivitis.
But convinced there was something more going on, Mphango Simwaka pressed for further tests – and received a devastating diagnosis of cancer at just 22.
The Mphango, from Bradford, was initially told her swollen left eye was a simple stye.
But she was left horrified to wake up following day unable to see with her eye bulging alarmingly out of its socket.
“I was absolutely mortified,” the former associate consultant told NeedToKnow.
“One of my friends kept telling me: ‘It looks like your eye’s going to pop out.’
“It didn’t hurt or anything, but I felt like something was pressing against it.
“The pressure was unbearable.
“I just remember looking in the mirror and gasping in sheer horror at the way it looked.
“I really thought I was going to go blind, if not lose my life.”
‘DEFEATED’
Mphango’s nightmare began in November 2022, while she was in the process of moving.
Already stressed, the subtle swelling in her left eye triggered alarm bells.
The now 24-year-old visited the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) hospital, where she claims no tests or scans were done.
A doctor suggested the swelling was caused by a stye and told Mphango to use a hot compress and to come back if it got any worse.
For a second opinion, Mphango saw an optician, who confirmed her eye socket was inflamed and prescribed eye lubricant, before another doctor at the BRI told her it was conjunctivitis.
Knowing it wasn’t something simple, she went back to A&E at Croydon University Hospital and was later referred to an eye hospital, St George’s Moorfields, where it was confirmed that she had an aggressive tumour.
She said: “Each time they gave me a new diagnosis, I felt defeated.
“I knew it was something that needed to be properly looked at.
“The final doctor took one look at my eye and was completely mortified.
“Things quickly escalated and I was sent for tests, which showed I had an abnormal white blood cell count, but the cause was unknown.
“I was then transferred to an eye hospital, where more tests, including a CT scan were carried out.
“The real nightmare then began.”
A SHOCKING DIAGNOSIS
A mass was spotted in front of her brain, which was pressing against her optic nerve and causing her eye to bulge outwards.
Mphango had a biopsy taken and eventually, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare form of blood cancer.
While devastated, Mphango knew that swift treatment was her only chance of survival and quickly assessed her options for future.
In case of early menopause, she preserved her eggs and then underwent intense radiotherapy, as well as four cycles of chemotherapy.
In January 2023, despite suffering numerous life-threatening infections, she was given the all-clear.
While happy to have her life back, the 24-year-old has been left partially blind and with a drooping eye.
What is Acute Myeloid Leukaemia?
ACUTE myeloid leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system's white blood cells.
The causes of the disease are not well understood and it usually cannot be prevented. Previous chemotherapy, exposure to radiation or smoking could raise the risk.
It is a rare type of cancer and affects around 3,100 people each year in the UK, and 2,700 people die from it annually.
AML is an aggressive form of cancer and often needs urgent treatment with chemotherapy and possibly a bone marrow transplant.
On average only about a third of patients survive for one year or more after being diagnosed.
Symptoms of the disease include:
- Paleness
- Concerning tiredness or weakness
- Often feeling breathless for no reason
- Getting regular infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unexplained bleeding and/or bruising
Source: NHS
Now, she hopes to share her story to raise awareness and for people to push doctors if they feel something isn’t right – as it could be a matter of life or death.
She added: “I still think about how bad it could have been.
“I wonder if without all the delays things might have been different.
“It was quite shocking being diagnosed with cancer so young, but I’m glad I finally got an answer before it was too late.
“Always trust your gut instincts, keep persisting and never take no for an answer.”
Jam Press has contacted the Bradford Royal Infirmary for comment.
A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are very sorry to hear about Ms Simwaka.
“Unfortunately, the Trust cannot breach patient confidentiality and comment on individual cases but if she would like to formally raise her concerns with the Trust, we will be more than happy to look into them for her.”