Woman’s painful reaction to wine leads to discovery of cancer that changes her life

A woman’s uncomfortable reaction to alcohol led to a serious discovery.

Hollie Thursby, 28, a mother of two from the United Kingdom, told Kennedy News and Media that after giving birth to her second son, Jack, she began experiencing unusual symptoms.

At a checkup for her son, who was a couple months old, Thursby mentioned that he was experiencing “unbearable itchy skin,” which is known to be a postpartum symptom. The doctor suggested it was due to hormonal changes.

RISK OF DEADLY CANCER IS INCREASED WITH CERTAIN LEVEL OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, STUDY FINDS

Thursby added that he drank a couple of glasses of wine from time to time. Although he kept his alcohol consumption to a minimum, he described having “a lot of pain” in the side of his neck.

“Really quite painful and uncomfortable,” he said, according to the report.

The mother also reported feeling extremely exhausted, which she assumed was due to caring for her children throughout the day.

“I also felt like when I went to bed I had someone sitting on my chest,” he shared.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

In July 2025, Thursby discovered a lump on the side of his neck that he described as “really pretty big” but was not painful, Kennedy News and Media reported.

“It was hard, it didn’t move, but it was there,” he said. “When I turned my neck to the side, you could see it.”

Thursby’s symptoms turned out to be a form of blood cancer: stage 2 Hodgkins lymphoma, which means it is in two or more lymph nodes, according to Cancer Research UK.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Common symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, heavy sweating, weight loss, itching, persistent cough or difficulty breathing, high temperatures, and pain in the stomach or lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE News APP

“Pain when drinking alcohol is actually a known side effect of Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” he said, according to the report. “It’s about the acidity of the wine and not about when you drink other alcohol.”

While alcohol-related pain in Hodgkins lymphoma patients has been “an accepted scientific consensus” since the 1950s, cases are rare, Healthline confirmed.

Thursby reportedly started chemotherapy in November and noted that the hardest part is not being able to care for her children after losing her own mother to a blood disorder called myelodysplasia.

“I grew up without a mother and it was horrible. I can’t do that to kids,” she told Kennedy News and Media. “We are all devastated, but now we know and we have a treatment plan, which is what we need.”

TRY OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“I’m just doing everything I can to get better for them. I keep telling myself this is just temporary, I just need to move on.”

Anyone who experiences pain or other concerning symptoms after consuming alcohol should see a doctor for guidance.