Woman, 26, Had Excessive Itching but Was Told ‘It’s Just One of Those Things.’ She Then Self-Diagnosed Her Cancer (Exclusive)

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A young woman complained of extreme itching and eventually diagnosed herself with cancer

• Sümbül Ari was dismissed by many doctors, including one who said all she had to do was moisturize.

• “Being told I had cancer was a relief. I finally had an answer. But I was furious and very, very angry at the doctors who dismissed me,” she tells PEOPLE.

of a young woman extreme itching it was dismissed by many doctors. Even though he felt helpless, he never gave up and eventually diagnosed himself as follows: cancer.

Hyacinth Ari tells PEOPLE exclusively that she is “fit, healthy and very active He had a history of running half marathons, powerlifting, and indoor rowing before his symptoms began.

“I was going to the gym six days a week, I have never smoked “or if I was a heavy drinker, I slept eight to nine hours a night and rarely got sick,” he explains. “I had no problems with my health before this and had regular blood checks every year, always in range and normal.”

When her first symptom, itching, began, Ari, 26, says: “At first I thought I was reacting to something: perfume, deodorant, washing products, shower products. I started a process of elimination, but nothing worked.”

She also had “night sweats” and “acne” issues, so Ari attributed these to “hormonal changes.” But as more symptoms emerged—fatigue, loss of appetite, voice changes that would last for weeks, recurring skin infections, and brain fog—Ari realized it had to be something more serious.

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“After two months of extreme itching, I went to my first doctor. I told him that I would wake up in the middle of the night and scratch myself until I died because I felt like something was crawling on my skin,” Ari recalls.

Aril told PEOPLE that the medical professional responded with a less-than-ideal solution, detailing that “there was no rash at all.” “He told me, ‘Moisturize your skin. It’s probably just dry skin,’ and attributed it to the hot, humid climate,” she says.

Ari says that when he went to a second doctor, this time for an infection he had, he mentioned his persistent symptoms and was treated for the infection as well as the scabies. However, when he went back two days later with his problems not resolved, Ari said that the doctor did not care about his symptoms either.

“I’ll never forget those words: ‘It’s just one of those things,’” he recalls.

Although his problems continued and his blood tests came back “completely normal and within appropriate limits,” Ari admits, “I honestly gave up.” Still, he examined his symptoms on his own and went down what he describes as a “Night after night Reddit rabbit hole.”

“I suspected mold, I searched my house and removed mold if there was any. I suspected athlete’s foot, I tried home remedies I found on Reddit. Nothing. I tried creams, antihistamines, sleeping pills: nothing worked,” she tells PEOPLE.

Ari eventually visited more doctors — one when he thought he had a parasite, another when he sought antibiotics — and received help during a colonoscopy with a practitioner who was a naturopath, making him feel like “everything was finally going well.”

But “after three weeks I noticed the itching was back, and this time it was worse,” says Ari.

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At that time, a swelling had formed on Ari’s neck. When he Googled to investigate, the results changed everything. “I knew I had cancer as soon as I read about itchy skin, night sweats and fatigue,” she tells PEOPLE.

Eventually, after more doctor visits, the self-diagnosis was confirmed to be Hodgkin Lymphoma. “I didn’t care if it was cancer or not, I just wanted the itching to stop and get a full night’s sleep,” she says. “I was emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted at that point. I was at a breaking point.”

Ari continues: “Being told I had cancer was a relief. I finally had an answer.” “But I was very angry and very, very angry at the doctors who fired me.”

He adds: “There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing there’s something incredibly wrong but being ignored by the people who are supposed to be helping.”

Ari is currently in the middle of chemotherapy treatments. “All the symptoms I had experienced since my first chemotherapy session have disappeared,” she says. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I sleep like a baby every night and I don’t scratch myself anymore.”

“I wake up every morning grateful to have had a full night’s sleep,” adds Ari. “I forgot what it felt like to wake up well-rested.”

She continues: “I’ve been feeling great since the chemo. I haven’t had any nausea, side effects, reactions or nausea. There’s some fatigue but I’m just taking naps.”

Ari who works as user-generated content creator and one event content creatorHe says he, too, remains active. “I move my body every day, walking, running, rowing, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, sleeping very well and of course staying positive,” she explains.

Looking back on her health journey, Ari tells PEOPLE: “I finally got my answer because I never stopped advocating for myself, even when no one was listening.”

“Never stop defending yourself when you know something is deeply wrong,” he continues. “Keep trying until someone listens.”

Ari adds: “I started to believe that life wasn’t worth living, and I really couldn’t go on any longer. Then my answers came, which I’m so grateful for. Don’t give up.”

In his advice to others who are currently facing a similar situation or may face a similar situation in the future, Ari says: “Let go of the pressure, timelines, and expectations you once had for yourself. You don’t need to carry the weight of everything right now. This is your time to be ‘selfish’ in the best possible way, to focus on your recovery, your peace, and regulating your nervous system without guilt.”

“I’ve learned how clear it becomes when you take it all back, what really matters. So focus on getting through each day as it comes. Be present, lean on the people you love, and allow yourself to rest without feeling like you’re falling behind,” she continues. “You’re not behind, you’re just being asked to move forward in life differently right now, and that’s perfectly okay.”

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