In a tragic event of unfortunate misdiagnosis, The Daily Mail is reporting that teen Stacey Stephenson died of stomach cancer after repeatedly being diagnosed with acid indigestion. At the beginning of summer, Stephenson began having digestive problems related to eating. When she visited the doctor, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion and given a prescription to combat acid indigestion.

However, several weeks later, when the young woman of 19 noticed her symptoms had not improved, she returned to see the doctor again. Again, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion. Shortly after, she went with friends to Greece on holiday. During holiday in Greece, the stomach pain became severe and she sought medical attention. An X-ray revealed a stomach tumor and this is when her stomach cancer diagnosis was made. Her family came to Greece to bring her home to England.

Once home, Stephenson was admitted to hospital and scheduled to undergo chemotherapy, but she became so weak from chemotherapy-induced kidney failure that she passed away in the hospital. Obviously, the doctors who initially saw this young woman dropped the ball when it came to following up on the potential causes of her stomach ailments. She was responsible about her health and sought medical attention for her stomach problems.

But so many of us dismiss acid indigestion and digestive problems as an after-effect of our modern diet and the stressors of every day living. We do not always take these symptoms seriously -- and we should. For more information on indigestion, visit the Medline Plus indigestion webpage.

Our sympathies go out to the Stephenson family for the shocking and sudden loss of their daughter.