What Woman Thinks Are 'Mosquito Bites' Turn Out To Be A Warning Sign Of Deadly Disease
When a 41-year-old mother from Maria Stein, Ohio, noticed strange marks on her body, she compared them to bug bites. They looked as though they were left behind by pesky mosquitos — not something to seriously worry about. It wasn't until a few months after she initially discovered the bites that she realized her life was in terrible jeopardy.
Two Mosquito Bites
In late 2018, a physical therapist noted two dots on Heather Cramer's armpit. “They were kind of like mosquito bites,” she said. She didn't worry. Because she already had a doctor's appointment on the calendar for February, she held off getting the skin bumps looked at. For the mom, life continued.
The Holidays
In the weeks that followed, Heather enjoyed life with her husband and three sons (8, 10, and 13 years old). They celebrated the holidays together, and when weather permitted, she and the boys kicked a ball around in the backyard. They loved sports, and exercise was a regular part of her routine.
Getting Checked
Heather went to the doctor's appointment in February. The two bumps on her armpit never went away, which confirmed they weren't bug bites. She couldn't ignore them. “Make sure you’re getting checked," she said, later. "If people feel like they’ve got an issue go to the doctor right away.”
Nerves
The doctor, however, didn't see a problem. While definitely not bug bites, he said they were likely just a skin issue — nothing she needed to worry about. Heather accepted the non-diagnosis, relieved to have earned a clean bill of health. Once again, life continued... then she got nervous.
Spring Showers
By April, the "mosquito bites" hand't gone away. “I started to freak out,” Heather said. She made an appointment with a different doctor, thinking a second opinion might set her mind at ease. After all, just four years earlier, she'd endured a major health battle.
Self-Check
That battle started after she breastfed her youngest son. During a routine examination, she felt a lump on her left breast. Again, she wasn't exactly worried at the time. Her mother had a benign cyst at the same age (34), so she figured the odds were high that the doctor would say the same thing.
Doctor's Orders
She soon went to the doctor to address the lump, and he found "a spot that he was concerned about," Heather said. "He wanted them to check out that area on a mammogram. The results left her stunned.
An Earlier Diagnosis
“I didn’t really have any other risk factors. I didn’t have any of the genes for breast cancer,” she said. “I wasn’t overweight. I nursed all my three children for a year. I exercised. I started having children before the age of 30. I didn’t have my first period before I was 11. I was pretty surprised I did have cancer.”
Doctor's Orders
Heather's physician, Dr. Sagar Sardesai, is a medical oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. He told Today, “We are noticing an upward trend in younger women with a breast cancer diagnosis and so far the reason for that is not entirely clear... It has been associated with lifestyle factors that have to do with estrogen exposure.”
Surgery
Specifically, the test results said the lump was an invasive ductal carcinoma, and Heather Cramer needed a mastectomy right away. She scheduled the surgery for January 2014, not realizing that this was only the beginning to a long, long nightmare.
What the Knife Uncovers
During the operation, surgeons noticed the cancer spread all the way to Heather's lymph nodes. Treatment plans became more intense and far more dire. She needed 16 weeks of chemotherapy, more radiation, a bilateral mastectomy, and other surgeries if she wanted to win the fight.
Fighting Back
Her life a blur of doctors appointments, harsh medicines, and long treatments, Heather kept her loved ones close. “It’s like, ‘OK. It’s time to go. I’ve got to get through this day for my kids and my husband,'” she said. “I do it for them.” She fought hard — and saw promising results.
Cancer Free
Scans started to turn up clean. With a rigorous dedication to treatment and a tireless effort, Heather beat cancer and returned to a normal life. She did continue to suffer from radiation treatments. Some of her tissue was irradiated, which led her to see a physical therapist — the same one that spotted the bumps on her armpit.
Back to the Bumps
It was with this medical history in mind that Heather Cramer sought a second opinion on the "mosquito bites." She had been so blindsided by the breast cancer diagnosis that she dreaded to think what these bumps could be. But the first doctor's look turned up negative — maybe the spots were nothing?
The News
But when the biopsy results returned, Heather was devastated. She tried to remain positive. “There’s hope,” she said. “If you surround yourself with people that love you and build you up and keep you positive and pray for you and help you stay connected spiritually. That helps.”
Back Again
Her cancer was back, this time taking a more aggressive form that spread to her brain, lungs, and lymph nodes. “It’s scary,” she said. “It’s a tough road. I know they’re trying to say breast cancer is more of a chronic disease but it’s hard to look at it like that.” This time around, she knew what she needed to do.
Fits
“I was considered metastatic," Heather said. "Stage 4." Sixteen weeks of chemo therapy wasn't going to be enough. “I have my crying fits,” she said. “I think that people with cancer should know that, too, you have a right to scream and cry and get it all out. I can’t hold it in all the time.”
Dr. Sagar Sardesai Advice
When Dr. Sagar Sardesai had a chance to speak to Today about Heather Cramer's "mosquito bites," he jumped at the opportunity to share must-needed knowledge on his area of expertise: “Breast cancer can present in many ways." He listed some other less-common ways the disease manifests.
Other Forms
"It’s not always just a lump," Dr. Sardesai. "It can be a nipple discharge, soreness in the breast, skin changes. If it's a young woman who presents with any of these symptoms, they should not be dismissed.” Doctors have pointed to several other subtle warning signs that your health may be in jeopardy.
Swollen Feet
Give those puppies a rest. If you’re feet or ankles are swollen, you’re likely retaining fluids. If swelling persists, it might be related to improper kidney function or potentially poor leg vein circulation.
Clumsiness
According to orthopedic surgeon Anthony Kouri, clumsiness is one of the telltale signs of Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and MS. “Early symptoms may include tripping or bumping into things, clumsiness or hand weakness, difficulty holding small objects, and muscle cramps or twitching.”
Irritability
There could be an actual reason for your short-tempered bad mood and it might be depression. Over 17.3 million adults in the United States report experiencing at least one major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Handwriting Changes
Nervous system disorders like Parkinson's disease are sometimes identified by a shift to smaller cramped handwriting called micrographia. In fact, as we age, our handwriting naturally begins to change, but practicing with a heavy pen can keep those skills sharp.
Extreme Fatigue
A perpetual feeling of fatigue can be a sign that your heart isn’t pumping blood properly, which could point to several health issues. Heart disease, cancer, and even depression all have tiredness as a symptom.
Changes To Nails
Our nails can reveal a lot about our health. Paleness can signal liver disease, heart failure, and anemia. A stark white color is indicative of liver problems like hepatitis. If your nails develop a rippled look, that might be linked to psoriasis.
Gum Swelling
Besides bleeding, inflammation is another key sign of gum disease. There are also links between gum disease and heart disease, where studies suggest that having the prior puts you at higher risk of the latter.
Painful Discolorations
Varicose veins or bruises are sometimes mistaken for blood clots. While they do have the same discoloration and tender-to-touch feeling, a blood clot is usually accompanied by other symptoms, like troubled breathing and an increased pulse.
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Itchiness
Everybody gets itchy, those are just the facts. Though, if you’ve ruled out the typical culprits like allergies, or bug bites, itchiness is also a reaction to advanced kidney disease. It’s a symptom of mineral bone disease when your kidneys can’t properly balance the waste filtration of the blood.
Bleeding Gums
Dentists warn that bloody gums are often due to harmful bacteria in the form of periodontal disease. The effects aren’t just limited to the teeth. The bacteria can spread throughout the blood and infect your organs.
Eye Issues
Blurriness, glares, flashing lights, and a narrowing scope around your periphery are all warning signs for common eye problems. It’s recommended that everyone over age 40 receive annual eye exams to catch problems like macular degeneration or glaucoma.
Bad Breath
If you can’t brush away foul breath, it might be linked to a chronic acid reflux disease called GERD. Bad breath odors are also symptoms of diabetes and liver problems. Either way, seeing a dentist can help determine the source.
Foot Fungus
If you keep catching athlete’s foot despite your efforts to combat it, that could be a marker of chronic illness. People with diabetes are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections.
Snoring
While snoring is often the subject of many household jokes, it’s worth investigating if it’s a symptom of a larger issue, like sleep apnea. Research from Harvard Medical school found that 80% of people with heart disease also had sleep apnea, so it’s not something to ignore.
Facial Drooping
If you notice numbness or drooping in your facial features, get to a hospital fast. The most widely known medical event sometimes identified by a facial droop is a stroke, though sometimes it’s indicative of the nerve disorder Bell’s palsy or Lyme disease.
Double Vision
Don’t ignore double vision in case it’s a symptom of more than just tiredness. It’s a proven side effect of aneurysms or other potential problems with the brain. Or, it might mean it’s time for a new prescription.
High Blood Pressure
This one isn’t physically observable on its own, which is exactly why they call it “the silent killer." There are many self-monitoring devices on the market in case you want to check your blood pressure at home.
Persistent Cough
Obviously, coughing can be an indicator of a zillion things, including just a bodily reflex. If your cough persists though, particularly in old age, it could be linked to mesothelioma.
Hair Signs
If you notice shifts in your hair, registered dietician Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, LDN, says they could be linked to a protein deficiency that indicates poor gut health. Besides dullness, thinness and easily plucked strands are also things to watch for.
Headaches
Those of us with frequent headaches and migraines shouldn’t just pad them with pain relievers and water. If you’re experiencing sudden headaches after age 50, or a severe increase in pain, Harvard Medical School says you should seek medical treatment.
The Eyes Have It
Have chest pain, but not sure if it's a heart attack? Look at your eyes in a mirror, or have someone do it for you. If there's a grey line around your cornea, take an aspirin and rush to the doctor. If unsure, go anyway!
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