People Are Revealing The Symptoms They Wish They’d Taken Seriously Sooner

Recently, people shared the health issues they ignored — or were brushed off by doctors — that eventually grew into more serious issues down the line.

Because knowing your symptoms before it’s too late makes all the difference, the stories inspired many more to share their own experiences in the comments. Here’s what they had to say:

1. “Women experience different symptoms than men. My cardiologist acknowledged this, but the recommended vascular surgeon blew me off. He entered the room, determined to ‘educate’ me about my ‘condition’ without ever asking me any questions or examining me. Telling me that this situation was not an emergency and that I should just go home. Then, the recommended neuro-vascular surgeon agreed with the cardiologist. I had to have a stent put into the right carotid artery that was more than 70% occluded almost immediately to prevent a stroke!”

(Cont’d) “I had odd symptoms on and off for years. They came back at the beginning of December one year, stayed, and got worse. I had dizziness, heart racing, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Then new symptoms presented themselves: eye pressure, a daily baseline headache, and a whooshing my right ear that eventually was audible in my left ear as well. Plus a super severe case of brain fog.”

“Even with all of these ‘odd’ symptoms, I was asymptomatic for a carotid artery issue. I didn’t have slurred speech, body numbness, or face drooping. I didn’t have lifestyle issues. I’d been eating cleanly for two decades. I didn’t smoke, my bloodwork was good, I didn’t have diabetes, and as soon as I was diagnosed with hypertension at the age of 33, I was on medication to regulate it. Please pay attention to your symptoms and don’t ever allow a pompous, clueless doctor to try to make you feel like you’re crazy. I didn’t, and it saved me from having a stroke or possibly dying!”

—Anonymous, 56, Female, Pennsylvania

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2. “I was very fatigued, overworked on graveyard shifts, and stressed out in my personal life. Started just feeling ‘off,’ like something was wrong with my health and general mental acuity. Started developing a rash on the undersides of my arms to the wrist, and on my legs from the ankle to my shin. Started bruising easily. Watched a movie with my fiancée, where she rested her head on my chest, and ended up with a massive bruise on one side of my chest.”

“I finally went to the doctor and told him something just feels wrong. Got general blood work done on a Friday afternoon and fell asleep. Slept for almost a day and a half. Woke up to a dozen missed calls from my doctor, including from his personal cell, and tons of voicemails telling me to go to the ER immediately. Went immediately after I woke up.”

(Cont’d) “Turns out they weren’t rashes and random bruising. That’s when I learned how to tell the difference between a rash and micro-bruising (petechiae). Press down on the rash/bruising. If the pressure causes the blood to disappear and the skin to turn white, it’s a rash. If it doesn’t, it’s micro-bruising, as no amount of pressure will cause the blood pool to disappear from a bruise.”

“I spent three days in the hospital because my platelet count was 0. They told me the only platelets they detected were dead. I was walking around at extreme risk of internal bleeding, including in my brain, from the slightest bump or any type of fall. It can also occur spontaneously, even without platelets. I’ve had intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), platelet transfusion, and extremely high doses of steroids. I didn’t sleep for the entire three days. They tested me for a dozen different cancers.”

(Cont’d) “I spent the next three years doing blood work once a week, ending up in the hospital for treatment twice more. I’ve had tons of specialist appointments, hematologist, rheumatologist, and multiple cancer specialists for testing. No cancer, thankfully. I’ve been diagnosed with about ten different autoimmune disorders, including immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), which is what caused the initial issue.”

“Doctors can’t explain why it happens, when it’s going to happen, or what I can do to stop it from happening. Took me a long time to stop worrying about it, take life as it comes, focus on living a healthy life because it’s just a good approach, and just watch for the signs of a flare-up so I can seek treatment accordingly.All the other autoimmune disorders, though? They’ve gotten worse but are manageable. Not looking forward to the next 20 years tbh, health-wise anyway. The takeaway? Please never ignore random bruising, especially petechiae, and know the difference between a rash and micro-bruising. When something truly feels off, see a doctor.”

—Anonymous, 38, Male, Canada

3. “I had pain in my face. It felt like sinus problems, so I treated it as such for months with no relief. It got so bad my ear started hurting. I went to an ENT and a dentist. Finally, a doctor said I had a slipped disc in my jaw.”

—Anonymous, 49, Female

4. “My dad was having extreme fatigue and dizziness to the point that just taking an easy flat stroll was exhausting for him, and he felt constantly like he was going to faint. He was referred to a cardiologist, and it turns out he has a pretty severe form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It’s genetic — turns out a few other family members have it, and I got genetic testing that shows I have the gene.”

“It can develop at any age, so to be safe, I go now (as well as my kids) to regular cardiology exams. Especially for women- since heart disease is the number one health issue that kills women- always advocate to see a cardiologist if you have symptoms like that; women are sadly underdiagnosed when it comes to heart issues.”

—Anonymous

5. “A coworker of mine had a lump in her armpit for almost a year. It wasn’t painful, so she thought it was just inflamed from a cold. Turns out it was metastasized stage 3 breast cancer. She now tells everyone to go get that mammogram.”

—Anonymous

6. “I had twinges in my breast. It felt like the nerve twitches I got after getting breast implants and later getting them removed. But it wasn’t technically pain, and didn’t happen very often. I just thought they were still from those surgeries. I had them for over a year before getting my first mammogram. Yep. Breast cancer. Stage 1, thank goodness, but when they tell you not to ignore pain in your breasts, know it can be very subtle.”

—Anonymous, 49, Female, Arkansas

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7. “I had unstoppable vaginal bleeding that was extremely heavy. I was told it was a cervical polyp and my age, and to ‘get used to it’ since it was dismissed as perimenopause. I was dizzy from this constant pain and bleeding, and I tried to get the polyp removed, but my doctor said I was overreacting. They told me, ‘The next five years are going to be tough for you with this attitude.’ They would not even reexamine me.”

“I went to a new doctor who examined me, and it was a cyst — not a polyp — in the opening of my cervix. It made my body feel like I was having a non-stop miscarriage for 18 months, since it was causing it to dilate. I had it surgically removed and am now back to normal periods. Ladies — get second and third opinions if necessary. Don’t be dismissed like I was for being ‘that age.'”

—Anonymous, 46, Female, US

8. “For about three months, I had a very dull pain behind my right eye. Nothing super dramatic or painful; it wasn’t a headache, since over-the-counter meds didn’t really do anything for it. One day, I am sitting at my desk and thought, ‘I should really get this looked at.'”

“Went to the ER to find that I had a double aneurysm, and one was about to burst! I was sent to a specialist that night at another hospital to have it stented. I can actually feel the stent from time to time. I was incredibly lucky. Oh, and my grandfather died five years prior to a brain aneurysm.”

—Anonymous, Nevada

9. “In my late 40s, I got into mountain biking and thought it was weird I was exhausted after riding for about one minute. My fitness didn’t seem to be improving in line with how often I would go cycling over the next few years. If I exerted a lot of effort when it was cold outside, I would end up coughing for a day or two from deeply breathing in cold air. I sometimes had episodes of extreme sweating; my face would flush red, and I would be out of breath after walking up one flight of stairs. I thought it was no big deal, normal stuff, because I was almost 50. I hadn’t had a yearly physical in a decade or more.”

I finally had one in 2020 at the urging of a friend that is a nurse, and a large lump on my thyroid was found. Turns out I have stage 4C Medullary Thyroid Cancer. It has metastasized throughout my bones, my liver, and lungs. There are no medications that will help me, but it’s now five and a half years later, and I’m still stable!My metastasis has not grown noticeably. I go for yearly checks and am receiving no treatments. One day, it may take off and kill me, and there’s nothing we can do about it. But I got to see my kids graduate from high school, and I created a nonprofit to try and save others from being diagnosed at stage 4 like me.”

—Anonymous, 55, Male, Minnesota

10. “I had extreme fatigue for three years. It was during COVID, and everyone was home all the time (spouse and I are both teachers, and we have children). I was pushed from doctor to doctor. My labs were always ‘normal.’ I was told it was because I worked too much, my kids’ schedules were too demanding, that I needed to lose weight, exercise, eat healthier, and meditate. One doctor even had me do a 26-hour narcolepsy sleep study. Come to find out, I had Papillary Thyroid Cancer that had spread by the time it was found.”

“I finally found an endocrinologist who listened to me and figured out that ‘normal’ lab ranges were not ‘normal’ to me. I had a total thyroidectomy and partial neck dissection, and then had radioactive iodine therapy. Now, almost two years later, I’m cancer-free. Have to watch it though, with the combination of factors surrounding my PTC, it has a high recurrence rate (28%).”

—Anonymous, 42, Female, Michigan

11. “I never got my period, and would go anywhere between 2-7 months without it. At the time, I thought it was awesome, but I had no idea it was a major red flag that something was wrong. When I did get my period, it was awful, but I thought it was my body’s way of making up for it. It didn’t click that something was wrong until I started taking birth control, and I could pick up on patterns: nausea, fatigue, chest pain, back pain, pelvic pain, migraines, headaches, fevers, and bad breakouts. I spent years begging a doctor to listen to me, and, long story short, I have endometriosis.”

—Anonymous, 23, Female, Arizona

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12. “Just recently, my uncle started having issues with speech and fine motor function. He chalked it up to stress from work until this past Sunday, when he lost control of his speech and the function of his right arm. My aunt brought him to the ER, thinking it was a stroke. They did a scan and found a mass on the left side of his brain, along with a lot of swelling. He has surgery to excise and biopsy the mass next week. If your motor skills, speech, or ability to move ever get worse, do not wait it out. Go straight to the emergency room.”

—Shearly Sam

13. “I walked around with severe heartburn, indigestion, and stomach pain for about two years. Tried every form of an antacid and anti-gas medication I could take. Woke up one morning in such severe pain – was chilled to the bone and drenched in sweat – vomiting, diarrhea, and in and out of consciousness. I opened the garage door and called 911.”

“I told them I would be lying on the couch in the living room and to just come on in. They told me at the hospital that it was not the worst ever, but the worst case of pancreatitis he’d seen that year, along with gallstones and liver damage. When something hurts – don’t ignore it!”

—Anonymous, 66, Female, Texas

14. “At 29 years old, I had chest pain that progressively got worse over time. I had a stressful job, so I chalked it up to a busy time at work because I was young, healthy, and fit. I began experiencing shortness of breath when walking up a hill or up a flight of stairs.”

“I finally decided to go to the ER when my heart was racing, and I almost blacked out going to my third-floor apartment. The doctor couldn’t believe I drove myself or walked in on my own. I was experiencing chest pain and had multiple blood clots in both lungs. Don’t ignore persistent chest pain.”

—Anonymous, 35, Female, Virginia

15. “Constant pain in my hands and ankles. Everyday. For years. I thought it was just due to position or overuse because I write and paint. No, I was wrong. It was rheumatoid arthritis. At the beginning, my doctors told me it was metabolic, but nothing I did made it better.”

“Lost the weight, exercised, and nothing improved. It kept returning, sometimes with a vengeance, in the form of fatigue and stiffness. After my knees and hips began hurting, I found another doctor who was willing to do the appropriate tests and begin the needed treatment. It took me six years to get a diagnosis. Don’t ignore your chronic pain, kids.”

—Anonymous

16. “I was exhausted all the time. By the time I got home, all I could do was flop on the couch. I thought it was because I was working too much and that it was just part of getting older. Then I started feeling full after only a few bites, and dropping weight. I was bruising but couldn’t even recall having bumped into anything.”

“Still missed the classic red flags! I had routine bloodwork, and my white blood cell count was wildly high. Long story short, I ended up being admitted to the hospital that very day and was diagnosed with a chronic form of leukemia. I look back and feel foolish that I excused away so many warning signs. Please take this as a cautionary tale!”

—Anonymous, 47, Female, Ohio

17. “I had difficulty sleeping. Other symptoms for many years were headaches, muscle pain, anxiety, panic attacks, and hives. I had sleep apnea. The C-PAP changed everything. Beautifully sweet sleep. All symptoms immediately improved and went away.”

—Anonymous, 67, Female, Texas

18. “Over about four days, I had stomach discomfort. Not pain, but a mild fever that came and went, constipation, little appetite, and one day a very odd pine-tar-like odor from my armpits. Doc said, ‘Get thee to an ER,’ but I delayed going as I had to pick up a family member from the airport the next day.”

“When I went to the ER, they wanted to do two CT scans, but after the first one, they said, ‘Nope. You are going straight into surgery.’ Turns out I had a rare form of diverticula in the middle of the small bowel that was totally blocked. They had to remove five inches of my intestine. I was lucky the thing didn’t burst open — it would have been sepsis and likely killed me.”

—Anonymous, 74, Male, California

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19. “I’d been having shortness of breath anytime I walked, but was fine if I sat down. After a few days, it got progressively worse until I was literally crawling down the hall one night to go take my dog outside to pee. I threw up blood and crawled back inside and managed to get on the couch and felt just fine, as if nothing had happened. I thought perhaps it was COVID.”

“The next day, my son convinced me to go to a walk-in clinic. They ran some tests and immediately sent me to the ER. I had been bleeding internally the whole time from a duodenal ulcer, which required a blood transfusion. Don’t be an idiot like me and ignore symptoms, especially when they’re glaringly obvious.”

—Anonymous, 70, Female, Washington

20. “I always had painful periods, but everyone told me it was normal. Because of this, I just kind of ignored the pain each month and told myself to get over it. It wasn’t until I was 33 and trying to get pregnant that my husband and I went to a fertility doctor. His tests came back normal, and I was told after a vaginal ultrasound that I had an abnormal uterus.”

“Turns out that I have what’s called a unicornuate uterus, meaning I was born with literally only half a uterus; one fallopian tube and all. That’s why I had painful periods and was struggling to get and stay pregnant. With the right timing and medication, I was eventually able to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby girl at 39 weeks despite automatically being a high-risk pregnancy.”

—Anonymous, 34, Female, California

21. “I had bad nausea for about eight months. I threw up every morning and couldn’t figure out what was going on. Tests came back negative, and my diet didn’t seem to affect it. When I got double vision, I didn’t think it was related to the other symptoms. I thought I needed a new prescription for the vision issues, so I went to the doctor.”

“That doctor sent me to the ER for an MRI. Turns out I had a benign brain tumor, which was causing the nausea and the vision problems. I had surgery 36 hours after the initial diagnosis. If they hadn’t caught it, I probably would have collapsed or had seizures. So so glad I didn’t ignore my eyesight even though I ignored the nausea.”

—Anonymous, 27, Female, Washington

22. “Starting in late March 2025, I started noticing some foods didn’t taste right. This went on through April and into May. Then I started noticing that my bowel movements were getting pale in color and started to float. Finally, in June, I had blood tests ordered by my PCP, and we found out my liver and kidney functions were out of range and I was becoming slightly jaundiced. Went to the ER and was admitted almost immediately.”

“A CT scan and ultrasound revealed that the duct from my liver was pinched closed, so a stent was put in. During that procedure, it was discovered that there was a lesion on the head of my pancreas that caused the duct to be pinched closed. The biopsy showed it was malignant. I’ve since had eight rounds of chemo and a Whipple procedure to remove the cancer. So, don’t ignore it if food starts tasting wrong, especially if meats and cheese start tasting slightly sour.”

—utlayolisdi

And lastly:

23. “My throat was sometimes sore and my voice a little raspy over most of a summer. I talk for a living, managing people who work remotely, and I thought it was just that I’d been talking a ton every day. I went to a doctor who said, ‘You might want to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc,’ but I didn’t.”

“Eighteen months later, I was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer and had a total laryngectomy, then the complete chemo and radiation routine. Cancer-free three years later, but I lost a lot of function permanently, and might not have if I’d gone in earlier. I had been a performing singer my whole life. No more.”

—Anonymous, 60, Male, Chicago

Was there a symptom that you or your doctors ignored for too long? Let us know in the comments or at this anonymous form.

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