The 26-year-old bumped into a doctor on her honeymoon.
Danielle McCulloch and her husband Matt were celebrating their marriage on a honeymoon in Cyprus when a chance encounter saved her life.
The couple got married in Cyprus with their children, aged nine and four, and extended family all present.
Just days after tying the knot, Danielle was out shopping with her grandmother Wendy who lives on the island, when they bumped into the local doctor.
The doctor noticed a lump on Danielle’s neck when they were introduced.
“Almost immediately she asked what the lump on my neck was and whether I’d had it checked.” Danielle told SWNS.
“I had only recently had my second child and had put around a stone in weight on, so I just put it down to changes in my body.
“I didn’t really know how to take what she was saying as it was quite personal and out of the blue but she was quite insistent that when I got back to the UK I needed to go and see someone.” She added.
The doctor was right, as Danielle was diagnosed with stage three thyroid cancer just weeks later by doctors who told her without treatment, it could have killed her.
Danielle’s left thyroid, where the 4cm lump was growing was removed and medics then carried out a second operation to remove the right side.
Afterwards, she was blasted with a radioactive iodine treatment to ensure any cancerous cells were destroyed.
Danielle added: “People know their own bodies and when something doesn’t feel right, they shouldn’t just assume everything is OK.
“I’m lucky. The lump was large but contained. If I had left it much longer who knows. I knew something wasn’t quite right but I chose to ignore my body. And to be honest I’d never even heard of thyroid cancer.
“It’s a cancer maybe not a lot of people are aware about but to all my friends and family I remind them anything new or any difference in your body big or small, check it out.
“It only takes ten minutes and it could save your life.”
Thyroid cancer is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in your thyroid gland . The thyroid gland is located in the front of your neck.
The symptoms include:
- A lump or swelling in your neck. This is the most common symptom.
- Pain in your neck and sometimes in your ears.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Difficulty breathing or constant wheezing.
- Hoarseness that is not related to a cold.
- A cough that continues and is not related to a cold.
Some people may not have any symptoms. Their doctors may find a lump or nodule in the neck during a routine physical exam.
