'I just know something is happening to me but nobody is listening'

A mum who has visited doctors 20 times says she is desperate for answers on her mysterious condition.

Mandi Benson, from Rochdale, claims she has been enduring bizarre symptoms for months which appear to be worsening every day.

The mum-of-two, who works as an internet evaluator, says she first started experiencing headaches behind her right eye which continued for a year. She was referred for an MRI scan which showed nothing of concern.

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But just a month later, the 44-year-old noticed growths had appeared on the inside of her nose which bled whenever they were knocked.

Mandi was given antibiotic cream and forgot about the strange symptom until a bump appeared on her septum in May 2024. Her skin also became blotchy and she developed lumps on her legs which bruised easily.

Alarmed by her deteriorating health, the mum repeatedly visited her GP but each test failed to flag any issues.

She then began rapidly losing weight – shedding 1st 4lbs in just four weeks. “As I was leaving [the clinic], I thought I’d try the scales in reception,” she said. “When it printed the weight, I didn’t believe it.

“I went to Boots and weighed myself there. It was the same as the GP scales and I was shocked. I had lost 1st 7lbs within four weeks.

“That weekend, I went on TikTok and saw a video on how to check your lymph nodes. When I checked my neck, I was shocked at how swollen they were. So, come Monday, I booked in for emergency bloods and another appointment to see the GP straight after.”

Explaining her strange symptoms, which included swollen lymph nodes, rapid weight loss, redness on her neck and chest, swollen stomach, a sensation of something being in her throat and bruised and swollen ankles, she was referred for a cancer diagnostic.

But once again, tests revealed nothing to worry about, leaving Mandi without the answers she so desperately wanted.

“One hour after my CT scan, I received a call telling me everything was fine, no tumours were found,” Mandi said. “Which was great, but didn't explain my symptoms.”

By August 2, Mandi noticed the growth inside her nose had become bigger. She returned to her GP, also informing them she had lost 2st 5lbs in seven weeks, and asked for immune disorder tests.

The medic said she likely had rhinitis, a condition that causes inflammation of the nose which can be caused by a number of things including viruses, bacteria, allergens or irritants, and she was given more cream.

“I was crying at this point,” Mandi said. “I felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously. I left feeling frustrated and angry.

“Why weren’t they wanting to find out what was happening to me? Why was I getting cream for my nose again?”

By this point, Mandi says she had started developing lumps on her arms and her right eye had become swollen.

“I had just got out of the shower and I was emotional and upset looking at the state of my body,” she added. “My eye looked bigger than the other one.”

Doctors said she had inflammation in her eye as well as a cyst on her conjunctiva, the thin, clear membrane that covers the inside of the eyelid and the white of the eye, but they didn’t know what was causing it.

The following day, Mandi began experiencing hair loss along with all her other symptoms. She now fears she may be suffering from a serious disease which continues to go undiagnosed.

And despite having 20 GP appointments, dentist appointments and visits to an eye hospital, she still has no idea what is going on with her body.

“I felt deflated,” she said on one of her latest appointments. “I was crying again because I just know something is happening to me but nobody is listening.

“In the meantime I have felt extremely fatigued and developed new growing lumps in my neck and chest which are getting bigger every day.

“A GP suggested I top up my antidepressants. I’m not depressed. I’m frustrated nobody is listening to me. I’m not well. Why is this happening to me, my lumps and lymph nodes growing? My legs are disgusting. Why is this happening to me?”

Fearing she may have cancer, which runs in her family, Mandi has set up a Gofundme appeal to help fund a private MRI scan. She says she hopes the test will finally give her answers before it’s too late.

“I have two kids and my mum was my age when she first got cancer,” she said. “I am progressively getting worse and each time I go to the doctors I leave in tears.

“I want to find out what is causing my symptoms and to look to see if I have blood cancer or any other type of cancer.

“I had a risk-reducing double mastectomy with reconstruction last year because my family history with cancer is very strong.

“If it’s anything serious, I want to get it as early as possible, not when it’s too late.”