A WOMAN mistook her cancer symptoms for an allergic reaction. Antonia Rubio, 25, naively believed her rash was down to her make-up - but she was actually in the early stages of thyroid cancer. She now wants to raise awareness of the signs to look out for before it's too late.
The singer, from Jersey , said: "It went from just having a rash on my face to having an anaphylactic shock while I was having dinner with my housemate. "I couldn’t breathe and I thought I was having a heart attack. It was scary.
" Antonia's ordeal began with red marks on her face, which quickly turned into recurring life-threatening anaphylactic episodes. She initially thought she was allergic to either her make-up , perfume or body products, so she stopped using them completely. But after numerous hospital admissions, where she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Antonia was told that it was, in fact, thyroid cancer .
"It was really difficult being diagnosed with cancer in my 20s," Antonia said. "I felt as though I was getting left behind and all my friends were ahead of me getting on with their lives. "It took a really long time to come to terms with my diagnosis and mourn the life I thought I was going to live.
"I felt a mixture of emotions, which included relief, as after three years of being unwell, I had finally been given an answer. "It wasn’t the answer I wanted; but once I had a diagnosis, it meant I could start treatment and battle the illness head-on." Antonia, who was studying at th.
