Molly Smith has opened up about the ‘unacceptable’ ‘dismissal’ by a doctor before she was finally diagnosed with ovarian cancer aged 21
A student has opened up about their experience with a doctor after their symptoms were ‘dismissed’ and they were later diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Molly Smith from New Haven, Connecticut in the US, has taken to social media to open up about her journey to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and her doctor’s response when she raised her concerns.
Molly Smith was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (TikTok/ @mission.mariposa)
The now-22-year-old reenacted the experience she went through with the doctor in a video shared to her social media – @mission.mariposa – explaining she went to the GP with her mom by her side to help take notes and told the doctor she’d been experiencing numbness in her hands and feet for ‘the past two weeks’.
The doctor allegedly replied by calling the then-21-year-old’s symptoms ‘really weird’ given she doesn’t ‘have any medical conditions’ and said she was ‘in pretty good health,’ instead, questioning whether Molly was ‘just dehydrated’.
However, Molly replied stating she drinks water ‘pretty consistent[ly]’ after having been told to stay hydrated during a trip to ER and hadn’t seen ‘any improvement’ in her symptoms since.
Molly shared a video roleplaying her doctor (TikTok/ @mission.mariposa)
“Well, dehydration can get pretty serious,” Molly impersonated the doctor responding, later theorizing Molly may have carpal tunnel – a pressure on a nerve in your wrist.
The doctor reportedly reviewed Molly’s blood work as ‘normal’ from the ER visit and resolved: “I don’t think there’s really anything more that you need to do.”
Despite Molly’s concern and her noting the numbness was ‘severely impacting [her] ability to function,’ the doctor sent her on her way.
But Molly’s instinct that something more serious was going on would sadly end up being proven right.
An ultrasound scan revealed Molly had a cyst on her ovaries which she was initially told was ‘probably benign,’ however, she was later diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In a follow-up post Molly reflects: “It can be a long and challenging road to finding the correct diagnosis, especially with ovarian cancer because it is so hard to detect.”
While she understands ‘most doctors wouldn’t make the connection between neuropathy and ovarian cancer’ Molly says the ‘dismissal of [her] concerns is unacceptable’.
“I wasn’t listened to because I’m young and have no prior medical conditions, so I had to beg for three doctors to take me seriously. I’m so glad I did because I was lucky enough to find the cancer while it was stage one,” she added to Newsweek.
Molly has started Mission Mariposa to empower young cancer patients (TikTok/ @mission.mariposa)
Molly underwent surgery in January 2023 to remove the cyst and resolves: “This is all to say, you know yourself best. If you really believe there’s something else going on, be firm with your doctors and follow the patient advocacy tips to help build your confidence in asking for what you need.
“Doctors aren’t perfect, especially general practitioners who really do mostly see very common issues! Don’t expect them to know the perfect diagnosis, but expect them to take your concerns seriously. This is what saved my life.”
Molly has since set up nonprofit organization Mission Mariposa which aims to raise awareness of cancer in young people and empower younger cancer patients to speak out, sharing tips on how to make sure they’re heard.
