It wasn’t until mid-2025 that the truth emerged: she had linitis plastica, a rare and aggressive form of stomach cancer, now classified as terminal.
Medical Dismissal and Delayed Diagnosis
Georgia-Leigh’s symptoms began in late 2024: persistent upper abdominal pain, rapid weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. Despite multiple visits to both her general practitioner and Leeds General Infirmary — between six and nine total — her concerns were brushed aside. Initially diagnosed with acid reflux and prescribed lansoprazole, her condition only worsened. Her body rejected food and even water. Within months, she lost nearly 40 pounds.
Her condition was not considered urgent. Only when she met with a new female GP who detected a lump in her breast did things finally shift. That unrelated finding led to a referral through the NHS’s non-specific symptoms pathway. Further tests revealed the cancer.