For 11 excruciating months, Sumbul Ari couldn't shake the feeling that something was crawling under her skin.
The 'fit and healthy' content creator, from Cairns, Queensland, thought she had developed an allergic reaction when severe itching broke out across her face, arms, legs and feet, persisting day and night.
But when the itchiness became unbearable, she saw a doctor - who dismissed her symptoms, blaming the hot and humid weather.
'I told him I would wake up in the middle of the night and scratch myself to death... it felt like there were things crawling under my skin,' Sumbul, 26, told Daily Mail.
She was sent home after being advised to moisturise as it was 'probably just dry skin' - but she knew something was seriously wrong when her condition worsened, with night sweats, extreme fatigue and feet covered in scabs.
Every time she saw a different doctor, Sumbul would break down in tears, repeating the same story - but she kept going around in circles as her symptoms were put down to everything from a skin infection to eczema, scabies, staph or athlete's foot.
'I'd sit and bawl my eyes out. I honestly gave up. It drove me insane... I was at my absolute breaking point,' she recalled, adding that she saw five doctors who would either ignore her symptoms or refer her to see a skin specialist.
It wasn't until she felt a sore lump on her neck that she realised she may be suffering from something far more serious - blood cancer - after a quick Google search validated her suspicions after all those months.
Sumbul Ari endured 11 months of severe itching, night sweats and fatigue. After being dismissed by five doctors, she discovered she was actually suffering from blood cancer
A sore lump on her neck led her to realise she was suffering from something much more serious after a quick Google search validated her concerns after all those months
'I did a Google search straight away and lymphoma came up. As soon as I read the symptoms: itchy skin, night sweats, and fatigue... I knew I had cancer,' she said.
By the time she was diagnosed with stage 2-3 Hodgkin's lymphoma in March 2026, Sumbul said she felt a sense of relief.
'Being told I had cancer was relieving but I was very frustrated at all the doctors that dismissed me. Very, very angry,' she said.
11 months of hell
'There is nothing more frustrating than knowing there is something incredibly wrong, but being brushed off by the people that are supposed to help. What a joke honestly.
'I was happy when they told me I had cancer because it meant I finally had an answer. I wasn't crazy. I knew something was wrong; it just took 11 months of hell, five doctors, and my own Google search to get there.'
Before her diagnosis, she was living a healthy and 'very active' lifestyle where she would compete in half marathons, powerlifting, indoor rowing and Ironman events.
'I was committing to the gym six days a week; I've never been a smoker or excessive drinker; I would get eight to nine hours of sleep a night; and rarely get sick,' she said.
'I never had issues with my health before the symptoms started. Regular bloods were checked every year, always in range and normal.'
But things took a strange turn when she started scratching herself uncontrollably, assuming she may have had an allergy so she eliminated perfume, deodorant, cleaning and shower products from her life.
'The itching was a sensation that haunted me every single day and night. It drove me crazy; I felt like I was going insane and every time I think of it I honestly just cry. It felt like things were crawling under my skin,' she recalled.
'No matter how hard I scratched, it never went away. There would be days where I wouldn't even go a minute without scratching. I'd stay up late itching myself, sleep for a couple of hours, wake up and continue scratching for hours, then go back to sleep.'
Sleepless nights
Struggling with an average sleep time of four to five hours, she tried everything imaginable - including creams, antihistamines, sleeping pills and even mould removal - but nothing seemed to work.
'When I woke up in the middle of the night, I would sit in the shower and cry to cool my body down. But nothing helped with the itching,' she said.
'I would even wake up to blood on my sheets from itching in my sleep.'
Then the night sweats began, followed by fatigue.
'I have never had night sweats in my life... I put it down to hormonal changes because I had broken out with acne all over my chin and cheeks - and I'd never had adult acne before,' she said.
What is Hodgkin lymphoma?
Hodgkin lymphoma, sometimes called Hodgkin disease, is a rare type of blood cancer that affects your lymphatic system.
It is estimated that 795 Australians were diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2024. The average age at diagnosis is 44 years old.
Signs and symptoms
- itching
- painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin
- excessive sweating, especially at night
- unexplained fatigue
- shortness of breath
- unexplained cough
- fever
- unexplained weight loss
Causes
- family history
- a weakened immune system
- smoking tobacco
- exposure to viruses such as the Epstein-Barr virus or HIV
Her main symptoms included itching, night sweats and fatigue. Other signs included loss of appetite, a hoarse voice, recurring skin infections, and brain fog.
She said her fatigue wasn't just 'feeling tired' but would leave her lying in bed all day because she 'felt so weak'.
'This would happen almost every week - constantly feeling very tired, weak, and exhausted... and mind you, I work from home so I am not on my feet a lot,' she said.
Other unexplained symptoms included loss of appetite, a hoarse voice, recurring skin infections, and brain fog.
'The main symptoms were the itching every day, night sweats, and fatigue,' she said.
One of the doctors she saw treated her for a skin infection, but when Sumbul told her through tears that the symptoms were not getting any better, her concerns were dismissed.
The irony...
To add insult to injury, she remembers a sign in a doctor's room that read: 'Don't confuse your Google search with my years of education.'
Feeling helpless after seeing multiple doctors, she began Googling her symptoms. At first, she was convinced she had parasites.
'I go to another doctor, bawled my eyes out, presented her with all my symptoms, and asked for a referral to see an infectious disease doctor,' Sumbul said.
'She sends me off for multiple stool tests and blood work. All came back fine except she noted I was anaemic. I have never been anaemic in my life. I couldn’t get the referral and it was dismissed. She told me, "You’re all good".'
Sumbul was diagnosed with cancer last month - but one thing she was more devastated about is that the itchiness could have been resolved earlier had her concerns not been ignored.
On January 5, the day of her birthday, she decided to do a parasite cleanse at a naturopath clinic.
'My symptoms reduced dramatically for three weeks,' she explained.
'I finally felt like things were looking up. Then after three weeks, I noticed the itching coming back, and this time, it was worse. Around the same time, I was touching my neck because it was sore and noticed a lump.'
She booked a doctor's appointment the next morning after a Google search led to her believing she had cancer.
'As soon as I sat down, I started bawling my eyes out and I said "listen to me",’ and presented her with a list of all my symptoms; everything I had been treated for; mentioned how many doctors I saw; and that I suspected I have lymphoma,' she said.
'I mentioned the lump on my neck and she did an examination with her hands. She referred me for an ultrasound and I got it done the next morning.'
Finally getting answers
When a doctor saw her results, she was urged to go to the emergency room at the hospital immediately.
'They took me in straight away. After doing bloods and a CT scan, the doctor told me it was highly likely I had Hodgkin lymphoma. I felt relieved,' she said.
'I didn't care if it was cancer; I just wanted the itching to stop and wanted a full night's sleep. I was so emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted by that point.'
Sumbul was formally diagnosed with cancer last month - but one thing she was more devastated about is that the itchiness could have been resolved earlier had her concerns not been ignored.
The 26-year-old said she feels much better and happier since starting chemo treatment
She's currently going through chemotherapy twice a month - a treatment that has made her itching disappear completely
'To go through all of that and be dismissed by doctors drove me insane,' she said.
'It took a toll on my mental health and consumed my mind 24/7. I was so embarrassed at the state of my feet and legs after creating so many sores and scabs from tearing my skin with my bare hands.
'Being told you have cancer at 26 is something I never thought I'd be told - but knowing it is very treatable is something that eased my mind.'
She's currently going through chemotherapy twice a month - a treatment that has made her itching disappear completely.
'I did not have an itch-free day until I was diagnosed on March 17 and given a steroid to help. Since my first chemo session, all my symptoms I was experiencing have gone,' she said.
'I now sleep every single night like a baby and I no longer scratch myself. Every single morning I wake up grateful for a full night's sleep.
'I forgot what it felt like to wake up well rested. I have been feeling really good since chemo. I am moving my body every day; walking; running; rowing; eating healthy; drinking plenty of water; sleeping very well; and of course; staying positive.'
If she could go back in time, Sumbul said she wished she had admitted herself into hospital the moment the itchiness became unbearable.
'As soon as I went to hospital, I was taken seriously. The doctors actually cared and pushed for scans. They arranged for a biopsy, PET scan, and heart scan within a week and got me my answers. It happened so quickly,' she recalled.
However, she does believe things happen for a reason.
'If I am being completely honest, everything was orchestrated exactly how it was supposed to,' she explained.
'The week I went into hospital was the very week they started using a new treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma that is less toxic; has fewer side effects; and is highly effective in young people—which is why I believe I am doing incredibly well physically.
'In a way; although what I went through was incredibly hard; I am grateful to be on this new treatment regimen. It is a blessing in disguise.'
'Unspoken expectation'
For anyone going through cancer, Sumbul said: 'Cancer can come with this unspoken expectation that you have to stay positive or hold it together for everyone else. But the truth is - some days will feel heavy, unfair, exhausting, and messy. And that's completely valid.'
'Allow yourself to feel everything - fear, anger, sadness, hope - all of it - accept support when it's hard, and focus on the small wins like getting through a treatment or a moment of peace.'
'Lastly, your identity is bigger than your diagnosis. You're still you - with your personality, your interests, your relationships - this is something you're going through not who you are.'