I was told my back pain was early menopause at 30 – it was a deadly cancer and weeks later mum got the SAME disease
A MUM and daughter diagnosed with thyroid cancer months apart have revealed medics first dismissed their symptoms as menopause and asthma.
Jessica Warrington, 31, has said she and her mother Sarah Voy, 53, both from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, “support each other more than ever” after their mirrored diagnoses.
After suffering from brain fog, mood swings, headaches, back pain and exhaustion, doctors initially told Jessica she might be entering early menopause until she was diagnosed in September 2024.
Four months later, Sarah, who had been living with a breathing condition and neck pain for several years, received the same “devastating” diagnosis.
Both underwent neck surgery to remove the tumours and Jessica has now been given the all-clear while Sarah awaits her final results.
United by their joint ordeal, the pair hope to encourage others to “get a second opinion” on their health issues.
“It’s awful to be given this devastating news and then hear your mum has it too,” Jessica, a healthcare worker, said.
“I would’ve much preferred for me to have all the cancer and deal with it alone.
“My mum is my best friend, she is everything to me – going through this together, we support each other now more than ever.”
Sarah developed symptoms in December 2019 when she began feeling unfit and breathless.
Within a year, she was struggling to walk up the stairs and she visited her GP who gave her an inhaler for possible asthma.
A fleshy lump then appeared on her throat and she started struggling to swallow food but her GP thought it was nothing serious.
It was during a trip with friends to the city of Lincoln when Sarah started thinking “something was dreadfully wrong”.
“They went on a walk and mum was crawling up the hill and gasping for air,” Jessica explained.
Later, in October 2022, Sarah had another scare while swimming with dolphins on holiday in Mauritius.
“Mum is usually a confident snorkeller but she was unable to breathe and nearly drowned,” Jessica said.
Looking for answers, Sarah decided to change GP and was immediately referred to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with subglottic stenosis, a rare condition where the windpipe narrows.
“When her airway closes, she feels like she is being strangled,” Jessica said.
Sarah underwent surgery but the lump in her neck kept growing to the size of a plum.
It was around this time when her daughter Jessica’s symptoms kicked in and she too visited the GP.
“The nurse said ‘everything you’re saying sounds like you have menopause’,” said Jessica.
“I said ‘hopefully not as I’ve just turned 30’.”
Cancer cares not of age or who you are. If you feel ill and know your body, and something is wrong, push to be heard
Sarah Voy
A mother to three children aged three, six and nine, who she did not want to name, Jessica later spoke to a junior doctor who suspected the issue could be linked to her thyroid.
“He did two blood tests which I will be forever grateful for,” she added.
The results showed abnormalities and further tests in September 2024 confirmed Jessica had thyroid cancer, needing surgery to remove a lump in the left side of her neck.
Know your body
By Eliza Loukou, Health Reporter
At the end of the day, you know your body best.
If you feel like something is wrong or you’re experiencing symptoms that are unusual to you, speak to a GP – and push for answers if you feel like you aren’t being listened to.
It can also be helpful to have a good idea of what’s normal for your body, so you can spot strange symptoms quickly.
An example of this is your bowel habits.
A change in the amount of times you go to the loo or the consistency of your poop are often caused by something you’ve eaten.
But if these changes persist for over three weeks, they’re worth bringing up with your GP.
The same goes for persistent bloating, or even fatigue.
If you’ve been feeling bloated for three weeks or more and changes in your diet don’t seem to be doing the trick, speak to a doctor about it.
The same goes for if you’re tiredness just doesn’t seem to be going away.
You might hesitate to see a GP about your period, but you should definitely do so if your periods become heavier, irregular or more painful.
These are just a few examples of subtle changes to your body that are worth raising with a health professional.
They may not be anything to worry about, but getting them checked could lead to you getting vital treatment for a condition early.
She said: “The first question I asked was ‘am I going to die?’ as I have three children at home who need me.
“The thoughts race through your mind and you’re left to deal with every possible scenario.”
Just four months later, in January this year, Sarah found herself in exactly the same scenario after doctors removed the tumour from her throat and tests confirmed she had the same cancer.
‘Get a second opinion’
Jessica had follicular thyroid cancer, one of the most common strains which is highly treatable and often curable, while her mother Sarah has thyroid microcancer.
Describing her and her daughter’s ordeal, Sarah said: “What a journey me and my girl have been on but we have had each other.
“I’m forever grateful for her, my family and the amazing medical staff who took me seriously and saved my life not once but possibly twice.”
Jessica has been given the all-clear after going under the knife but Sarah is awaiting test results to see if her cancer has spread.
They will both be left with a scar across their neck for the rest of their lives.
Following their brave journey and determination for a diagnosis, they are raising awareness of thyroid cancer and encouraging others with concerns to get tested.
“If I could help just one person, that would mean the world,” said Jessica.
“Doctors always told me ‘you’re too young to have cancer’ but I had cancer.”
Her mum added: “Cancer cares not of age or who you are. If you feel ill and know your body, and something is wrong, push to be heard.
“Get second opinions until you are satisfied.”
The pair have set up a GoFundMe page hoping to raise £700 for the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust which supports patients with the disease.
What is thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is a rare cancer that occurs when cells in the thyroid gland grow abnormally and form a tumour
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple.
The thyroid produces hormones that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.
Thyroid cancer might not cause any symptoms at first.
But as it grows, it can cause signs and symptoms, such as swelling in your neck, voice changes and difficulty swallowing.
Several types of thyroid cancer exist.
Most types grow slowly, though some types can be very aggressive.
Most thyroid cancers can be cured with treatment.