Constanza Guerra Parada: Chilean student booked an appointment with the dentist to check out her sore gums. The diagnosis was much worse International student's life in disarray after health shock Cancer diagnosis came from innocuous symptoms READ MORE: I went to the doctor thinking I just needed my gall bladder removed By Max Aldred For Daily Mail Australia Published: 16:23 BST, 25 August 2024 | Updated: 16:39 BST, 25 August 2024 e-mail View comments What was supposed to be a routine dental check-up for international student Constanza Guerra Parada has become a life-changing ordeal. The young Sydney-based Chilean, 31, first noticed bruises on her limbs, fevers and fatigue in late July but brushed them off thinking they were due to her work as a cleaner.
When she was unable to eat due to the inflammation in her gums, Ms Guerra Parada finally took herself to a dentist. She was told her inflammation was unusual and was sent to a GP for blood tests. Two days later, Ms Guerra Parada, or Connie, was admitted to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where doctors delivered the crushing news that she had acute myeloid leukemia.
The shock diagnosis rocked Ms Guerra Parada as she began chemotherapy almost immediately. Fellow Chilean Isidora Becerra Quezada, 24 is not only one of Ms Guerra Parada’s closest friends but also one of her lifelines in Australia. ‘I know that her treatment to fight cancer will be a long and hard process, and I will be beside her every step of the way,’ she.