Often, young people struggle to convince healthcare professionals that something is wrong. Many horrifying stories have come to light in which diagnoses were delayed for several months because young women were not taken seriously.
Continue reading to learn more about what happened in this dreadful case…
Chandler Plante, 23 years old, has been grappling with a multitude of health issues since 2021. But it wasn’t always this way for her. Before all her health problems began in 2021, Chandler Plante described herself as a « normal 21-year-old girl. »
She contracted COVID-19 in December 2020 but recovered in a week because her case was mild. It was three months after her recovery that she started experiencing numbness in her hands and forearms.
She went to the emergency room, but was told that her symptoms were likely related to « anxiety. » She remembers, « I was told to leave, so I left. »
On June 28th, a brain scan revealed that the symptoms I had mistaken for panic attacks were actually significant ischemic strokes. The inflammation in my head was so severe that it was cutting off oxygen to my arteries – while they are supposed to measure 4 mm, mine were narrowed down to only 0.5 mm. »
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. The following month, she underwent a procedure to have coronary stents placed in her brain arteries to prevent further strokes.
In October 2021, she had a second set of stents placed. She underwent surgery and steroid treatment and was prescribed aspirin.
But in November 2021, her stents started migrating behind her right eye and began « strangling » her optic nerve. She then became permanently blind in one eye.
She recalls, « Doctors were baffled; they had no idea what could have caused this. They wondered if it could be a brain tumor, but all my scans were clear. »
« It’s really strange, » the young woman remembers.
She underwent a multitude of tests, with doctors trying to understand what had happened. On December 6, 2021, she underwent a craniotomy, a minimally invasive brain surgery. Later that month, she was referred for a lumbar puncture.
In the same month, tissues from her craniotomy were sent for biopsy to check for the presence of a severe form of long COVID as well as signs of a brain tumor. In March 2022, she was prescribed an immunosuppressant called methotrexate. In November 2021, she began a 10-day course of radiotherapy.
Every procedure and medical treatment worsened Ms. Plante’s condition. She said, « Every treatment made me feel horrible. »
« I suffered from horrible headaches and inflammation of my facial nerves due to my epilepsy medications. It was excruciatingly painful, » the 23-year-old recounted.
All of this continued until April 2023, when she had a breakthrough in her case. She received her first infusion of a chemical medication called rituximab. This brought her « a semblance of a normal life, » and some of her side effects even began to diminish.
She said, « For the first time, I really feel like my treatment is helping me. I’ve never had so few side effects, which is fabulous. I take a combination of rituximab and methotrexate, another chemotherapy drug. I experience hair loss and thinning, but I compensate for it with folic acid. It’s pretty normal for me at this stage. »
She now creates videos to inspire others with her positivity. She said about her TikTok account, « My page is about healing and positivity – and dealing with an absurd situation. Many people believe that positive humans are born that way, but I think it’s something I had to practice. I was tired of suffering. »
« Some days, the jokes I shared with Starbucks baristas and nurses were the highlight of my day – because everything else was so horrible. It was a defense mechanism – I needed that positivity to get me through a very dark time. It helped me heal in the most authentic way, » she said.
« I’ve made so many friends within the disabled community – I’ve been so impressed by the kindness and humanity of the people around me as I went through a trial that really made me wonder if I wanted to be here. You have to look on the bright side; it’s the only one we have, » the young woman added.
While Chandler Plante hasn’t received an official diagnosis for her health issues, she chooses to focus on the positive aspects of life.
If you found this story interesting, read about a 20-year-old woman who was told she was lazy and later found out she had cancer.
She is truly an inspiring young woman. Share this story with others to remind them of the importance of advocating for themselves in life!