A makeup artist who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia after she noticed bruises on her legs while travelling has urged women to trust their gut and see a doctor if they notice any unusual physical changes.
Nadia Peri, who is in her 20s, was diagnosed with leukaemia two days after returning home to Melbourne from Los Angeles early this month.
‘I had flown to LA and when I got off the plane I noticed heavy bruising on my feet and my legs actually ached and I felt a little bit nauseous,’ Nadia told FEMAIL.
‘I also had a rash which was made up of red spots on my skin but because I had done a long haul flight, I attributed the swelling in my legs and the nausea to the flight.’
Melbourne makeup artist Nadia Peri (pictured) was diagnosed with leukaemia in February, just two days after returning to Australia from Los Angeles
Nadia continued to notice bruises appearing on her body during her three weeks in LA and was also feeling tired but decided it was probably linked to her travel.
‘I ended up getting a bruise on my chest, I had a small bruise on my back, I started to get larger bruises on my wrists. I also noticed that I fell over a few times’, she said.
‘I was losing my balance and was feeling a little bit dizzy when I was there as well but I was going to a lot of events when I was in LA so I attributed some of that to feeling exhausted and maybe not drinking enough water.’
‘I was at an event… and I felt really really weak. I actually said to my boyfriend “can we sit down because I’m feeling so tired” and that’s really unlike me.’
Nadia said she noticed bruising appearing on her body, red spots on her skin and she felt dizzy and exhausted during her trip
Before returning home, Nadia called her mother, who is a nurse, and told her about what she had been experiencing.
Her mother booked her a doctor’s appointment just hours after she landed back in Australia.
‘The day after I landed I went to a nail appointment and I got a call from the doctor to come in urgently. That’s when I knew in my heart that something was wrong,’ Nadia explained.
Before returning home, Nadia called her mum (both pictured), who then booked her a doctors appointment for the day she landed
‘I had been told that one of the causes for my symptoms could be leukaemia, so when I had got the call to come in I called my mum immediately.’
Nadia said she ‘knew something wasn’t right’ and made her way to the hospital with her mum and sister.
‘The next few hours of tests and waiting were honestly the worst moments of my life. I was just crying to my mum and my sister because when you hear the C word or leukaemia, you just think you’re going to die.’
Nadia said she was terrified in the hours leading up to the diagnosis but felt strangely relieved when it was confirmed.
![Nadia said she is 'so lucky because I’ve had the best support in my family, in my friends, in my boyfriend (pictured), even the people that follow me [on social media]'](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/26/05/25209360-8044557-image-a-13_1582695575514.jpg?resize=634%2C793&ssl=1)
Nadia said she is ‘so lucky because I’ve had the best support in my family, in my friends, in my boyfriend (pictured), even the people that follow me [on social media]’
‘I know it sounds crazy but in that moment I felt a sense of relief because I finally knew my diagnosis and it was no longer a fear of the unknown,’ she said.
‘When you’re in hospital and everyone is doing all these tests, you’re panicking because you don’t know what is.’
Nadia has acute leukaemia, which ‘occurs when immature white blood cells grow out of control and continue to divide but never mature’, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse website states.
There are two types of acute leukaemia: acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
She encourages women to go and visit a doctor if they have any concerns about their health or notice any change in their bodies
Nadia is currently going through chemotherapy to treat the disease and is hopeful of a full recovery.
‘My mum saved my life really because she is the one that really pushed for all this,’ she said
She said she has no family history of cancer and her diagnosis was a complete shock as ‘no one ever expects to have cancer’.
‘If anything is concerning you about your health and you notice a change in your body, do not wait. Book an appointment to see your GP because it could potentially save your life.’
‘I read a really good quote online when I was going through this whole process and it really spoke to me: ‘Listen to your body when it whispers so you don’t have to hear it scream.’
Nadia also said that anybody dealing with a diagnosis should try to stay positive and follow doctors’ advice.
‘I’m so lucky because I’ve had the best support in my family, in my friends, in my boyfriend, even the people that follow me. I am just so grateful in the support that I have been given during this time,’ she said.
She said something has really helped her through this is ‘having a sense of humour’ and being able to laugh.
‘It has really saved me and helped my mental health. I truly believe that laughter is the best form of medicine.’
Nadia explained that it’s important to keep ‘doing little things’ that you love in order to keep a sense of normality
‘Don’t to let your diagnosis stop you from living because obviously you can’t control your diagnosis but for me I love creating content so I’ve made sure I can continue doing what I love from hospital,’ she said.
She explained that it’s important to keep doing ‘little things’ that you love in order to keep a sense of normality.
‘Even though I’m in hospital I still do little things like my daily skin care and I still put makeup on to keep my sense of normality and daily routine,’ she said.
‘That is so important for your mental health. It’s a small thing but many people underestimate that.’