A fit and healthy social media professional has revealed the three warning signs that triggered the visit to the GP that eventually revealed he had stage four cancer.
Govind Sandhu, 38, head of Global Music Partnerships at TikTok Australia, was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkins lymphoma after noticing his knee was swollen after the Sydney half marathon.
Sandhu, who has worked at TikTok for three years, said in an Instagram post Monday that she finished the half marathon while cancer was “running wild” through her system.
“Until I finished the Sydney Half Marathon I didn’t have any official symptoms,” Sandhu said.
“I ran the half marathon and was away for a weekend before in a remote part of Australia trail running with stage four non-Hodgkins lymphoma running wild through my system.”
Mr. Sandhu said he found the half marathon and trail running “a little harder” than normal, but he did not believe it was due to the cancer.
The 38-year-old explained a day after the race that he experienced “really bad flu-like symptoms” and severe body aches in the back of his neck and shoulder.
He also experienced “wild night sweats” that woke him up several times during the night and left him “absolutely drenched” in sweat.
Govind Sandhu, 38, (pictured) was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
“Those are the three things that made me go straight to the GP the next day,” Sandhu said.
Sandhu urged his fellow Australians to be proactive and talk to a doctor about the warning signs, schedule bi-annual blood tests and have a full-body ultrasound.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Sandhu said.
‘I would add a rotation every six months to go get blood tests just to make sure your levels are all under control.
“If you want to take it a step further, talk to a doctor about getting an ultrasound of your body, just to make sure nothing sinister is going on.”
In another video shared on Instagram, the Sydneysider said he was “Absolutely shocked and devastated” and wondering “why me?” after his diagnosis.
She added that things “just went downhill” after finishing the Sydney Half Marathon, but initially thought the swelling in her knee was due to a running injury.
“I had a swollen knee, although I thought it was because I had injured it with a bump I got when I was in Hobart running on some trails,” he said.
In a video shared on Instagram, Sandhu explained that she experienced flu-like symptoms, “really bad body aches” in the back of her neck and shoulder and “severe night sweats.”
‘But (also) very bad body aches and sweats and everything that would make you think it was flu or Covid.
“And over a four-week period, I just deteriorated.”
After several visits to the GP, blood tests, ultrasounds, PET and CT scans and tissue biopsies, doctors finally got a “full overview of where things stand”.
“But there have also been some complications as they found some abnormalities just above my pancreas and in my heart,” Mr Sandhu explained.
“But it looks like, fingers crossed, heart is fine.”
Mr. Sandhu will start chemotherapy soon and if there is cancer above the pancreas, it will be removed.
“It will be aggressive because cancer is aggressive,” he said.
There was an outpouring of support for Govind on social media with many followers sending him ‘good vibes’.
“You can do it, Gove. There is no better person who has the strength, resilience and positivity to kick this arse,” one wrote.
Another added: ‘You’ve destroyed everything you ever put into your heart and mind my friend. This is no different.’
A third commented: ‘He messed with the wrong person. You’re gonna smash this dude!’
The TikTok boss (pictured) who works at Global Music Partnerships shared that he dismissed his swollen knee and aches and pains, but his health soon went “downhill.”
The 38-year-old (pictured) encouraged her fellow Australians to talk to a doctor about their symptoms and schedule blood checks every six months for “prevention rather than regret”.
Mr. Sandhu said he “can’t believe it” and knows he has a fight ahead of him, but he is convinced that “it won’t be the end of my story.”
‘A long road ahead, but this will not be the end of my story. It just can’t be! “I am 38 years old, I have lived the most blessed life to date and I have so much more to live for,” she said.
“The reality is that I have a chance to fight this bastard, so I’ll take the win there.”
“Life is Beautiful. “I am lucky and I am grateful for what I have.”
She hopes her health battle will remind people to get tested because cancer “doesn’t discriminate.”
“Get checked, get blood tests done. If you feel bad, don’t just try to fight it,” he urged.