A mother diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 27 had symptoms she was unaware of weeks before the diagnosis, ranging from dry skin to brittle hair.
Christina McKnight, 35, didn't give much thought to the signs for weeks and was only diagnosed after husband Matthew McKnight, 36, 'forced' her to see a doctor.
He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the fall of 2014, despite having no family history and being "young, fit and healthy".
Christina, who now has a five-year-old son, thought her symptoms were caused by stress after being promoted at a commercial bank.
However, his fatigue, brain fog, dry skin, and brittle hair were signs of something more sinister.
It was one of those things I would never have thought of," said Christina, a content creator from Oklahoma City, USA.
“I was young, fit and healthy. I had just run a half marathon, had been doing CrossFit for three years, and had no known genetic thyroid disease in my family.
"I was starting to get really tired and had a lot of brain fog but I thought it was just the climb.
Then my husband noticed how tired I was and had no interest in things like the gym which I usually like.
"I couldn't do things the way I used to. I had to go to work on Sundays because my brain was blurry."
Christina said she noticed her hair was "really brittle" as her skin got drier.
"I ignored everything," he said.
"My husband knew something was wrong and booked me a doctor's appointment, which I canceled twice because I was too busy. I ended up going to the doctor mainly to do me a favor.
"I said my symptoms were due to not taking care of myself: I was eating junk food and feeling stressed at work.
“Luckily my doctor recognized my symptoms as he had recently diagnosed two other people with thyroid cancer.
"He felt my neck and diagnosed a bump that I didn't even know was moving the ball."
Christina then underwent an ultrasound and biopsy, which confirmed she had thyroid cancer.
At first, Christina is reluctant to accept the diagnosis, which requires the removal of her thyroid.
The thyroid is located in the neck and produces important hormones that regulate metabolism, energy levels, heart rate and body temperature.
As an athlete and runner, Christina was hesitant to have surgery, so she got a second opinion, which confirmed she had thyroid cancer.
She underwent a thyroidectomy in November 2014 and radioactive iodine ablation treatment in January to remove the remnants of her thyroid.
A year later, he was given the all-clear, but had to undergo a thyroid replacement injection to make up for the missing hormones.
It was so surreal because cancer is such a big word, said Christina, who shares her experience with her 102,000 followers on TikTok.
"It was a lot of luck and I think it's not possible, it was a weird feeling.
“It is often said that thyroid cancer affects older people and that it is hereditary, but in my case it was not the case.
"I don't tell my story to scare people, but to remind them to take care of themselves and see a doctor if they notice any changes.
“Listen to people around you when they notice changes and sometimes things we don't see in ourselves.
"Luckily I'm fine and my husband made sure I see a doctor, but I never thought the fatigue and dry hair was cancer.
"It's very important to be aware of these unknown symptoms and not think it won't happen to you. Listen to the people around you and the changes in your body. It can save your life."