The experience has left Ms Monk shaken but relieved.
A Texas mother of two is recovering after enduring a harrowing ordeal. Lisa Monk, 39, was diagnosed with a rare form of blood vessel cancer in early 2023. After receiving the devastating news, Ms. Monk underwent gruelling chemotherapy treatments, according to The New York Post. However, just a few weeks into her treatment, a shocking revelation came to light: Ms Monk never had cancer.
Ms Monk's ordeal began with stomach pains. A scan revealed a mass on her spleen, leading to a battery of tests. Doctors delivered the life-altering diagnosis of angiosarcoma. Facing a limited future, Ms. Monk wrote letters to her loved ones, preparing for a future she feared she wouldn't see, as per the news report.
"When the doctor told me it was cancer, I went into shock. The diagnosis was horrible, and [they] told me it was terminal," recalls Lisa, a higher education worker.
"I had to go home and tell my two kids. I didn't tell them at this point that it was terminal or that I only had 15 months; I just told them it was bad, but I was going to try to fight it."
Referred to a cancer hospital, Ms Monk started chemotherapy in March. The treatment took a heavy toll, causing hair loss, severe nausea, and weakness. But her world turned upside down just weeks into the second round. A review of her pathology report revealed a critical error: Ms. Monk did not have cancer.
The experience has left Ms Monk shaken but relieved. The cause of the misdiagnosis and the next steps for Ms Monk remain unclear.
"I saw the nurse practitioner first, and she just asked me about my symptoms, and she was scrolling on the computer while she was talking to me. All of sudden she just stops talking and has this look on her face."
"She turned to me and looked completely horrified and told me she needed to get the doctor and then ran out of the room," Lisa said.
"She left me alone for about 15 minutes, and the doctor came back in. He said a lot of medical lingo to me and then told me I didn't have cancer."
"I was confused, as they were acting like it was a bad thing. I just thought [if I didn't have cancer] it meant the chemotherapy was working."