A Yale student was diagnosed with cancer after months of pleading with doctors to be taken seriously while they claimed she just had dehydration and anxiety.
Molly Smith was just 20 years old when she started feeling numbness in her hands and feet.
She spent a full month before she decided to speak to a doctor, as the numbness was her only symptom, and she did not know what could be causing it.
Still, she knew it couldn’t be normal.
‘The numbness was so bad that it was affecting my ability to walk and dance, and I wasn’t sure if I would get the feeling back,’ Smith told Newsweek.
But the doctor told her she was probably just experiencing dehydration or anxiety.
Molly Smith was just 20 years old when she started feeling numbness in her hands and feet
She then spent months going from doctor to doctor in an effort to be heard, describing one of her early appointments in an Instagram video.
She tells the doctor in the video that her hands and feet have been numb for the past two weeks and she brought her mother along to the appointment.
But the doctor replies: ‘That’s really weird, it says here you don’t have any medical conditions, so you’re in pretty good health, but maybe you’re just dehydrated.’
Smith then says she had already been told by an ER doctor that she needed to drink more fluids, and she has not seen any improvements in her symptoms.
At that point, the doctor suggests she might have carpal tunnel syndrome, before saying the numbness may go away on its own.
Finally, Smith tells the doctor she would like a referral to a neurologist so she could follow up with them for further testing.
Smith was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 21
After several months of such back-and-forth, Smith had an ultrasound – which uncovered an ovarian cyst.
But still, Smith was told the tumor ‘was probably benign’ and she should wait three months to see if it went away.
It did not, and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 21.
She finally had surgery to remove the tumor in January 2023, followed by three rounds of chemotherapy.
Smith detailed the experience in an op-ed for Yale News, describing how she would get ‘sympathetic looks from the patients, all much older than me, as I attend my appointments alone.’
Smith finally had surgery to remove the tumor in January 2023, followed by three rounds of chemotherapy
She also said she lost the ability to dance and make films, and ‘cancer took the happiness from my family.
‘Hearing my mother’s cries on the other end of the phone hundreds of miles away was the hardest part,’ Smith wrote at the time.
‘No patient ever wants to hear that their child has cancer, especially when they’re states away.’
It was also difficult, she said, to realize she may lose the ability to have a child before she had even begun to consider starting a family.
But ‘even when it feels like I’m stuck between worlds, floating in the purgatory of the uncanny valley, my family and friends bring me back.’
Smith has now completed her treatment and is in remission
She detailed her experience going through cancer treatment in an op-ed for Yale News
Smith has now completed her treatment and is in remission.
But she wishes the doctors had taken her seriously from the beginning.
‘I understand that most doctors wouldn’t make the connection between neuropathy and ovarian cancer, but the dismissal of my concerns is unacceptable.’
Neuropathy is not a typical symptom of ovarian cancer, but board-certified gynecological oncologist Dr. Josh Cohen said it could occur.
The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include pressure in the pelvic area, abdominal pain, bloating, feeling full quickly and changes in bathroom habits.
The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 19,680 new cases in 2024, and has predicted 12,740 women will die from the cancer.
As with all cancers, risk increases with age, but as the medical director of the gynecologic cancer program at City of Hope Orange County, Cohen said early onset cancer is ‘on the rise’ and medical professionals must pay attention to patient’s concerns.
‘A diagnosis at any age is devastating, but younger people face additional challenges, including fertility preservation, managing employment [and] changes in body image,’ he told Newsweek.
To help others in her position, Smith started Mission Mariposa – a nonprofit which aims to empower young people and educate them about cancer
To help others in her position, Smith started Mission Mariposa – a nonprofit which aims to empower young people and educate them about cancer.
She said her hope is to raise awareness for symptoms and to encourage people to advocate for themselves.
‘I wasn’t listened to because I’m young and have no prior medical conditions, so I had to beg for three doctors to take me seriously,’ she recounted to Newsweek.
‘I’m so glad I did because I was lucky enough to find the cancer while it was stage one.’
Smith is now using her platform to teach others with unexplainable symptoms to take notes, have someone with them at each appointment and get a second opinion.
‘The best person advocating for your health is you,’ she said, noting that she followed much of the advice she offers.
‘I brought my mom to every appointment and that helped communicate the severity of the situation. She took notes and I did my research before each appointment.
‘I’m so glad I didn’t accept those initial explanations because it would’ve taken much longer to find the cancer.’
Cohen also said physicians should ‘focus on listening’ because patients ‘know their bodies best and should trust their instincts.’
If a patient does not feel sufficiently heard, Cohen urges them to seek a second opinion and advocate for themselves.
