When Ian Lawless let out an enormous sneeze little did he know it was going to change his life. The 57-year-old sneezed so loudly he was left in pain from his ribs for several weeks.
Finally, after it failed to improve and he began to suffer back pain, he decided to seek medical attention. His GP found the rib was broken but also decided to do blood tests "as a precaution".
Fortunately, when these came back negative his GP decided to order a second set, Ian told the Liverpool Echo. It was these which led to the devastating diagnosis - he had myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, which is "hard to spot" and claims the lives of around 3,000 people in the UK every year.
But he is refusing the let it get him down saying the discovery, in 2017, has meant he has better treatment options. And he says while there is no cure it is "very treatable".
And he is full of praise for his GP and those who are involved in his care. Speaking of his GP he said: "They went above and beyond.
"My daughter who is a GP says to this date she's not sure she would have ordered a second set of blood tests. Maybe it's because I kept saying I was in significant pain I don't know but myeloma is a strange disease, none of the criteria fitted me, it was from a clear blue sky. Maybe it was a gut feeling."
Ian was referred to cancer specialists Clatterbridge and was given an official diagnosis in March 2018 before completing a six-month course of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, using his own stem cells, in 2019. These were both considered successful, but in May of 2020, during a general check-up, he was given the news he had relapsed and more treatment was needed.
He had a further five-month course of chemotherapy before he had lapsed again and in 2021 went on another treatment plan. He said: "All of these drugs are in essence about keeping the disease at bay. At some stage, it will be unsuccessful."
He added: "I'm realistic, I know the disease hasn't got a cure but it's very treatable. My treatment scope is lower each time I relapse but everyone has been brilliant. It's about preserving life. There's always a hope of a cure but how far the line that is we don't know."
On average 16 people are diagnosed with myeloma every day in the UK but despite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is especially difficult to detect as symptoms, chief among them are pain, easily broken bones, fatigue and recurring infection, are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions.
By the time many patients are diagnosed with myeloma, their cancer has often advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.
It is the 19th most common type of cancer and mostly affects people aged 65 and over but it has been diagnosed in people as young as 20. Ian is urging people to not hesitate when seeing their GP as if caught early, more treatment plans are available.
He added: "In many instances, the issues could be general wear and tear but if it is more significant, you will understand it. It's a wonderful team at Clatterbridge, they are incredible and great at communicating with you. It is a worrying disease but it's very treatable.
"It's still a nightmare scenario because eventually treatments will run out but you have to go head on. Just lying there is not an option because you are lessening your chance of treatment. There's a level of fear in everyone facing the disease or diagnosis but in reality, it's more frightening to let it pass.
"The key focus is not to be stressed and follow the advice of the doctors and let people support you. It was a disease I'd never heard before but if something is wrong don't sit on it. Live in hope."
The former freelance IT project manager was forced to give up working but adds he was fortunate enough to be financially secure. He said: "Not having to worry about money helped me maintain positivity when dealing with my treatment plans, as did the anchor of planned holidays. Not everyone would be that fortunate, but that said, for people in less demanding roles, to continue working is an option."
Myeloma 'red-flag' symptoms
- Persistent or unexplained pain for more than 4–6 weeks, particularly in the back or ribs
- Spontaneous fractures, including osteoporotic vertebral fractures
- Hypercalcaemia (high calcium levels in the blood)
- Reduction in kidney function
- Recurrent or persistent infections
- Unexplained anaemia
- Nosebleeds or unexplained bleeding
- Unexplained breathlessness
- Feeling generally unwell – fatigue, weight loss, suspicion of underlying cancer
- Unexplained peripheral neuropathy, that is damage to the nerves that make up the peripheral nervous system. In myeloma the nerves that are most commonly affected are those of the hands and feet
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust has since scooped a national award for its commitment to patients living with the incurable blood cancer. The accolade, awarded by charity Myeloma UK, recognises hospitals’ commitment to raising the bar for treatment and providing compassionate and personalised care to patients.
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