Woman’s Common Nighttime Problem Turned Out to Be Cancer

By Linda Rodgers Updated: March 28, 2017

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When Tara Lock began waking up at night drenched in sweat she thought she was just going through menopause. After all, night sweats–along with hot flashes, that other scourge of mid-life–are a common problem for women in their 40s as they approach the end of their reproductive years.

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But what Lock didn’t know is that night sweats can also be a warning sign for cancer, specifically lymphoma. (The disease usually starts in the lymph glands, part of the body’s immune system). Now the mom of three thinks she may have been walking around with cancer for two years before her shocking diagnosis: Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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But there was a silver lining to her cancer diagnosis. Lock came up with a towel that soothed her hot flashes during her chemotherapy. After her treatments, she started selling them in the local markets in her home town of Melbourne, Australia. They’re called Chilly Towels, and they are good for anyone who suffers from the heat–whether they have cancer or are going through menopause or not. Best of all, she gives $2 back to breast cancer research for every pink towel sold.

via DailyMail.co.uk

NEXT: See celebrities who have gone through cancer treatments and survived in the gallery below.

Edie Falco

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Edie Falco: Breast cancer, 2004 Falco kept her treatment a secret from her Sopranos co-stars. “Surviving cancer has a way of making you re-prioritize," she's said. In her case, it meant starting a family.
Kathy Bates

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Kathy Bates: Ovarian cancer, 2003; breast cancer, 2012 The actress kept her cancer a secret but after her double mastectomy, she told People magazine: "Breast cancer runs like a river through my family.
Fran Drescher

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Fran Drescher: Uterine cancer, 2000 It took two years and eight doctors before the Nanny star was finally diagnosed. After the experience, she wrote a book and started a cancer foundation.
Rod Stewart

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Rod Stewart: Thyroid cancer, 2000 The rock icon got lucky when his cancer was discovered during a routine scan. He lost his voice for three weeks, and now sings an octave lower than he used to.
Carly Simon

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Carly Simon: Breast cancer, 1997 After a lumpectomy and chemotherapy, the singer told the New York Daily News she was "stronger than ever. I've always thought of myself as a warrior."
Sheryl Crow

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Sheryl Crow: Breast cancer, 2006 The singer, then 44, had just broken up with Lance Armstrong when doctors discovered a tumor. After treatment, she adopted two boys.
Sharon Osbourne

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Sharon Osbourne: Colon cancer, 2002 The reality TV star had one foot of her colon removed. After discovering she carried the gene for breast cancer, she had a double mastectomy.
Hugh Jackman

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Hugh Jackman: Skin cancer, 2013, 2016 Jackman was filming X Men when a makeup artist pointed to a red mark on his nose. It turned out to be basal cell carcinoma. He now gets skin checks every three months.
Robert De Niro

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Robert De Niro: Prostate cancer, 2003 De Niro, then 60, credited his complete recovery to early detection.
Christina Applegate

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Christina Applegate: Breast cancer, 2008 The actress was only 36, but she had the BRCA gene mutation--her mom was a breast cancer survivor. She opted for a double mastectomy.
Michael C Hall

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Michael C. Hall: Hodgkin's lymphoma, 2010 Hall used a break during Dexter to go through treatment. Getting a Golden Globe two-thirds through it gave him a "shock of positive energy."