Liver cancer has several obvious symptoms, including jaundice and pain on the top right side of your abdomen.
However, the disease can also present itself more subtly. 18-year-old Natalee, who goes by @teenagecancerpatient on TikTok, shared her long journey to a stage four cancer diagnosis.
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC or FL-HCC) is a particularly rare and aggressive form of the cancer, found to affect young adults and teenagers with historically healthy livers.
Due to its distinct nature, the illness presents itself uniquely when compared to other liver cancers, as demonstrated by Natalee's own experience.
@teenagecancerpatient/TikTok
|Natalee was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer earlier this year
"In [year nine], I started getting really, really bad shoulder pain, and I was playing a lot of sports, so the doctors chalked it up to a pulled muscle," she explained.
During this time, she experienced "on and off" pain, recalling periods of extreme discomfort, then feeling fine for two months or so. As a result, "the doctors didn’t take [her] seriously".
First, Natalee went to the doctor at around 13 years old, and then again two years later. This time, the medics referred her to physiotherapy, which "didn't help".
"At this point, I was using a lot of Ibuprofen all the time for whatever," she said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Her left rib started hurting "so bad" that when she sneezed, it would stop the sneeze because the pain was so terrible.
"It took my breath away," she said, explaining that it hurt when she laughed or sneezed. Again, the pain was "on and off". She then started to feel "really nauseous", so much so that when she laughed, it would cause her to gag.
Natalee's blood was taken, showing levels of inflammation, although everything else was reported as normal.
Once Natalee got to her senior year, she had an MRI and a chest and rib X-ray, but the doctors still did not detect anything medically wrong.
GETTY
|Liver cancer can present itself in a number of ways
Then, her symptoms began to get worse, starting to "throw up randomly" and feeling so nauseous that she became "scared to eat".
After speaking with a gastrointestinal doctor, she stated: "He basically told me my rib was hurting because I was touching my rib too much."
Finally, the doctors found that she had high ammonia levels, as well as elevated liver enzymes, after she went to A&E for ovarian cysts, which eventually led to her diagnosis of stage four cancer earlier this year.
"I complained constantly to my parents, constantly to my friends, constantly to my doctors. I was constantly telling people something was wrong," she said.
If you or a loved one is concerned about your health or well-being, always consult a GP or equivalent medical professional for a full assessment.