It’s easy to chalk up feelings of exhaustion and unexpected weight loss to stress, burnout, and sleep deprivation. Likewise, more serious yet manageable symptoms like fever, night sweats, and abdominal tenderness can be linked to the flu or food poisoning. However, when these symptoms persist or become worse, especially in young, healthy people, it’s a sign to pick up the phone and call your doctor, warns Govind Sandhu, a 38-year-old who is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for stage four lymphoma.
RELATED: 25-Year-Old Shares Subtle Lymphoma Symptoms That Were Misdiagnosed.
A self-described “fitness fanatic,” Sandhu is a marathon runner and CrossFit enthusiast. A month prior to receiving his cancer diagnosis, he completed a half marathon, and he had also crushed the 75 Hard challenge in which people “must complete five critical daily tasks that double down on exercising twice a day, sticking to a rigid nutrition plan and strengthening your mental fortitude—all without rest, cheat days or substitutions” for 75 days straight, per Cleveland Clinic.
On paper, Sandhu was in optimal health until he began experiencing “really weird” changes in his physical fitness. For instance, he had a nasty fall while on a running trail the weekend before his big race.
“It was very bizarre for me to do that,” he explained in an interview with Today.com. “I got quite cut up and bruised up and had a bit of a swollen knee.”
Nevertheless, Sandhu brushed it off and made sure to get adequate rest before the half marathon. But as he crossed the finish line, he again felt like something wasn’t right.
“I remember finishing the race going, ‘This felt just a little harder than expected.’ The next day, I woke up and I had a swollen knee,” he recalled.
Sandhu attributed the inflammation in his knee to his recent injury, but then he started developing “really wild flu-like symptoms out of nowhere.”
“I couldn’t get warm. I had a really long hot shower,” he said in his interview. “I went to bed, and I had wild sweats the whole night where I was just drenched.”
After a week of these “really weird” symptoms, Sandhu sought medical attention. “I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms, which were really bad sweats throughout the week, really bad body aches on the back of my shoulders and neck, and also feeling really tired,” he continued.
Tests came back negative for both flu and COVID. After an additional two weeks of monitoring his symptoms and feeling “deteriorated,” Sandhu requested blood tests.
Results showed that Sandhu was “a bit anemic” and had a low count of white blood cells. His doctor also conducted a throat ultrasound after Sandhu raised concerns about having pain whenever he swallowed. Then Sandhu started having “a bit of pain” in his chest.
Sandhu said his doctor suspected fibroids but instead found lumps in his throat. A computed tomography (CT) scan led to an emergency room visit, where Sandhu underwent more tests and a throat biopsy. He eventually had a biopsy done on his chest, as well as a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
“At this point that’s when I start to go, ‘Holy [expletive], what is going on here?’” he told Today.com.
His medical team found “a bit of fluid buildup around [his] heart.” The PET scan showed cancer around Sandhu’s pancreas and under his diaphragm. Sandhu was told he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly 81,000 people will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2024. It’s considered one of the more common types of cancer in young people and accounts for about four percent of all cancers in the U.S.
“It’s stage 4 because I have it in multiple parts above the diaphragm. Then below the diaphragm around the pancreas and liver area,” he explained. “[Cancer] was the furthest thing from my mind. When I initially started to get sick, I didn’t think it’s cancer.”
Sandhu is undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy in addition to immunotherapy. While his cancer diagnosis has been a “learning curve,” Sandhu said he’s “feeling as good as one can.” His body is responding well to treatment.
And now, Sandhu is using his cancer story to encourage others to advocate for themselves if they notice something off about their health.
“We should take ownership of our health,” he said. “If you feel something is off, be proactive. Follow up, ask the right questions, do the research.”
