A woman was left stunned to learn she had cancer after noticing symptoms while drinking a glass of wine.
It’s a disease that impacts nearly 40.5 percent of men and women across the US, with an average of 5,500 new cases daily.
And in the UK, more than 420,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
Prostate, breast, lung, and bowel cancers are the most common, accounting for over half of all new cases.
It’s a leading global cause of death, accountable for nearly 10 million deaths per year, often driven by smoking, diet, and lifestyle factors.
A 28-year-old mom was left heartbroken after noticing symptoms in 2024 that led to the life-changing diagnosis.
After not drinking for nine months, Hollie Thursby decided to treat herself to a glass of wine or two to celebrate the birth of her baby.
But it was then, while drinking wine, that her symptoms began to show.
The diagnosis
In July 2025, Thursby decided to visit her GP after experiencing symptoms for some time and discovering a lump on the left side of her neck.
Despite originally blaming symptoms on her ‘hormones,’ doctors took her lump discovery seriously, and further investigation revealed that the mom had a substantial cluster of lymph nodes in her neck.
Having undergone a biopsy, Thursby received the heartbreaking diagnosis of stage two Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.
The primary school teacher claimed the hardest part about her diagnosis was not being able to look after her two sons.
She said: “The doctor told me on October 23 that I have stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.
“I was heartbroken, absolutely devastated.
“My mum died when I was 10 of something called myelodysplasia which is a blood disorder, it’s like a form of blood cancer.”
Treatment
“We’re all devastated but we all know now and we’ve got a treatment plan, which is what we need,” Thursby said.
She is now undergoing chemotherapy, and is struggling with not being able to care for her babies.
The mom added: “I can’t look after the boys which is what is affecting me the most.
“Thankfully they are so young they don’t know I’m poorly which is a blessing for them.
“I’ve got loads of support but for me personally, not being able to look after the boys is the worst thing about it all.”
The 28-year-old grew up without her mom as a result of her blood disorder, and claims her worst fear is the boys growing up without their mom.
“I’m just doing everything I can to get better for them,” she continued.
“I keep telling myself this is only temporary, I just need to keep going.”
Symptoms after drinking wine
Thursby noted that her earliest symptoms only occurred when drinking wine, which is, interestingly, not uncommon.
She explained that the oncologist told her the neck pain she experienced after drinking wine was probably linked to its acidity.
The mom shared: “When I spoke to the blood cancer doctor, she said she’s been working for 17 years and has only seen it one other time.
“But pain when you drink alcohol is actually a known side effect of Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s something about the acidity in the wine and not when you drink other alcohol.”
The pain, when drinking wine, started behind her ear, and moved along the side of her neck.
It was also accompanied by itchy skin, particularly at night.
Other symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma include night sweats, unexplained fevers, and significant weight loss.
