• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Woman’s £20 Pret coffee subscription ‘saved her life’ by providing ‘red flag’ cancer sign

Home> News> Health

Updated 08:24 21 May 2025 GMT+1Published 10:11 16 May 2025 GMT+1

Woman’s £20 Pret coffee subscription ‘saved her life’ by providing ‘red flag’ cancer sign

The regular caffeine infusion wasn't improving her 'debilitating' fatigue

Dan Seddon

Dan Seddon

One woman claims her Pret a Manger coffee subscription 'saved her life' as it led to her discovering she had cancer.

In January 2023, Zee Valentina was taking on all five of the free hot caffeinated drinks she was entitled to at the chain, but they were doing nothing for the 'debilitating' fatigue that had recently taken over her life.

The 31-year-old project manager initially put it down to work-related stress and late nights, but the powerless effect of the coffees became a 'red flag' for her, so she sought out some medical advice.

Advert

To make matters worse, Zee was dealing with a pair of pea-sized lumps on her neck too, but a local GP reportedly advised her to just take vitamin D tablets.

After months of worsening symptoms, she was finally referred to Hammersmith Hospital, which resulted in a Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma confirmation.

Zee was paying £20 for her Pret a Manger coffee subscription (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)
Zee was paying £20 for her Pret a Manger coffee subscription (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)

"I started to feel extremely bad fatigue, it wasn't the normal type," recounted Zee, who's thankfully now in remission.

"I thought I probably just burned myself out and was overworked. Even if I had 13 hours of sleep on the weekends, it wasn't enough for me.

Advert

"I started having five coffees a day from January to August. The subscription was £20 a month and I thought I'd make the most of it. I'd have five coffees with double shots and would get the shakes but I was so desperate for help. Before that I would only have a maximum of two coffees. That was the biggest red flag."

Lumps were appearing on her neck, but doctors wouldn't take her seriously (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)
Lumps were appearing on her neck, but doctors wouldn't take her seriously (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)

At this juncture, Zee was feeling 'very drowsy' and could barely think or function.

Her GP was quick to brush her off with vitamin D pills, but two months into the course she hadn't improved.

"I just knew in my heart something was wrong. I had a gut feeling and I was going to trust that because in my life my gut feeling has always been right," she continued.

Advert

"I was thinking that whatever it is, it's now growing and brewing inside me. I now had four lumps and the biggest was the size of a golf ball. The rheumatologist called me after a couple of days [after the CT scan] and said it was sadly Hodgkin Lymphoma."

Upon hearing this devastating news, Zee 'fell to floor and started crying' at work.

"Everything in my life came crashing down. I just felt like my entire world went dark," she said.

The Hodgkin Lymphoma is now in remission (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)
The Hodgkin Lymphoma is now in remission (@yourbestiezeezee/Kennedy News and Media)

After a difficult six months of chemotherapy, she was then informed that she'd need more treatment in addition to a stem cell transplant.

Advert

"Sadly the lymphoma had returned in my neck, chest, and liver. I was absolutely devastated," recalled Zee. "The doctors said they didn't expect this. I went into a deep depression. I wanted to live and see my future."

Finally, in November 2024, the West Londoner was told by doctors that her cancer was in remission.

"You are the only person that's going to fight for you," commented Zee. "We get one life, one body, you shouldn't feel guilty for advocating for yourself. It's so easy to ignore it but if it's cancer, it grows. If I was taken seriously earlier I could have caught it at an earlier stage."

What is Hodgkin Lymphoma?

According to the NHS, Hodgkin Lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system; a network of vessels and glands spread throughout our bodies. The most common symptom of Hodgkin Lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit or groin.

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News Media

Topics: Cancer, Food And Drink, Health

Dan Seddon
Dan Seddon

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Doctor shares the five ‘red flag signs’ of cancer that people should never ignore
  • Man diagnosed with stage four cancer aged 28 reveals the six red flag symptoms he wished he didn't ignore
  • Woman, 40, denied life-extending cancer drug announces her death
  • X-ray shows why single bite of popular Thai dish can give you liver cancer

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    The weight you need to be to get Mounjaro from your GP revealed

    It's being reserved for those with the 'greatest need'

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Brit who 'married 9-year-old girl' in Disneyland stunt revealed as convicted pedophile

    The British paedophile reportedly staged a mock wedding with a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Fury in White House after leaked docs reveal truth about Trump's 'obliteration' claims

    Intelligence suggests the targets in Iran weren't quite as 'obliterated' as Trump initially claimed

    News
  • 14 hours ago

    Worrying simulation shows how nuclear bomb really works as global tensions continue to rise

    A simulation of an atomic bomb has highlighted the alarming effects it can cause

    News