Fitness aficianado and TikTok employee Govind Sandhu, 38, recently shared the three seemingly benign warning signs that revealed he had stage-four cancer.
Sandhu, who is the head of Global Music Partnerships at TikTok Australia, posted an Instagram video on June 24 explaining that his diagnosis came to light after he ran the Sydney Half Marathon.
“I’m 38 years old, and I’ve been diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” Sandhu began. “This wasn't exactly a part of my five-year plan. I thought I was in the best shape of my life, the healthiest I’ve ever been. [I’m] a cross fitter who runs ultra-marathons and marathons, lives and breathes training, optimizes sleep, recovery, nutrition…”
On July 1, Sandhu posted a separate video to his TikTok account listing the three major warning signs which indicated his diagnosis.
“Up until the time I finished the Sydney Half Marathon, I didn’t have any ‘official’ symptoms,” Sandhu explained, using broad inverted commas to delineate how nebulous some cancer symptoms can be.
Sandhu reported that the weekend before the half marathon, he was in “a remote part of Australia” running trails when he noticed the exercise “felt a little harder than normal,” but thought nothing of it.
The symptoms began in earnest the day after the half marathon. Sandhu came down with “really bad flu-like symptoms…In particular, really bad body aches, as well as [aching] at the back of my neck all the way down to my shoulder.”
Sandhu continued: “And that night, I had wild body sweats that would wake me up throughout the night, and I would be drenched.”
He explained that the flu-like symptoms, pervasive body aches, and concerning night sweats were “the three things that made me go directly to the GP the next day.”
“If I was you,” Sandhu advised viewers, “I would add every six-month rotation where you go and get your blood work done just to make sure your levels are all in check.
He went on to reiterate the importance of regular cancer screenings, regardless of how healthy you may feel or appear to be. “You just don’t think it’s gonna be cancer, especially at 38 when you’re fit and healthy,” he explained. “I know that cancer doesn’t discriminate.”
@goveybaby MY INITIAL CANCER SYMPTOMS…Been getting loads of questions around this topic. Firstly, it’s important to remember that I’m talking about Non Hodgkins Lymphoma & I’m no expert. Secondly, I would encourage you to speak to your doctor about warning signs but also be proactive & get your bloods checked at least twice a year. Additional testing like ultrasounds can also be preventative measures although your doctor can advise further. Never in my wildest dreams would I expect to be diagnosed with this, better safe than sorry. PS. I’m still learning so much about this disease! #nonhodgkinslymphoma #recovery #healing #goodvibes #fkcancer
♬ original sound - Govind Sandhu
