A young mother from Sunderland received a devastating blood cancer diagnosis after experiencing a rare but telling symptom: sharp neck pain whenever she drank wine.
A Mother's Instinct and Unusual Symptoms
Hollie Thursby, aged 28, first noticed the strange pains behind her left ear and down her neck following the birth of her second son, Jack, in December 2024. The primary school teacher initially linked the discomfort to enjoying a couple of glasses of wine with a meal. "I could have prosecco and sometimes it would hurt and sometimes it wouldn't," Hollie explained. "I could have lager and it wouldn't hurt but with wine it would really, really hurt."
Alongside these shooting pains, Hollie suffered from unbearably itchy skin, particularly on her legs at night, and felt "painfully tired." She attributed the extreme fatigue to looking after a toddler and a newborn. When she mentioned the itching to her GP during her postnatal check in January 2025, she was told it was likely due to hormones.
The Shocking Diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma
The situation changed dramatically in July 2025 when Hollie discovered a lump on the left side of her neck. This prompted further medical investigation, including a CT scan which revealed a large cluster of lymph nodes. A biopsy followed, and on October 23rd 2025, Hollie received the heartbreaking news: she had stage two Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells.
Her oncologist explained that the peculiar neck pain after drinking wine was likely linked to the acidity of the alcohol reacting with the affected tissue. "She said she's been working for 17 years and has only seen it one other time," Hollie noted. However, pain in the lymph nodes after consuming alcohol is a recognised, though uncommon, symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma, caused by swelling in the nodes following blood vessel dilation.
A Mother's Fight for Her Family
Hollie began her first round of chemotherapy in November 2025. The most difficult part of her treatment, she says, is not being able to care for her sons, Oliver, two, and Jack, one. Her own mother died from a blood disorder when Hollie was ten, a painful coincidence that weighs heavily on her. "I grew up without a mum and it was horrendous, I can't do that to the boys," she said emotionally.
"I'm worried that I'm dying and that I'm going to leave them. I can't leave them without a mammy," Hollie admitted. She is now channelling all her energy into recovery, supported by her husband, Harry. "I keep telling myself, me getting better is me looking after them. This is only temporary, I just need to keep going."
What is Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the white blood cells, affecting around 1,950 people in the UK each year. Key symptoms include:
- A painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin.
- Pain in lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.
- Heavy night sweats, extreme weight loss, and persistent itching.
- High temperatures and fatigue.
It is most commonly diagnosed in adults aged 20-24 and 75-79. Treatment typically involves chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and sometimes stem cell transplants.
