A mum-of-three who was diagnosed with a rare from of leukaemia was originally told she was lacking in vitamins and had severe tonsillitis. Kerry Harry began to experience "terrible fatigue" in April 2021, which she put down to working long hours and family life.
After her fatigue started to get worse, she decided to visit her GP who told her that she was lacking in vitamins. But after her legs became covered in bruises, she went back to her GP, who ordered blood tests.
She was told that her white blood cell count was low and a referral appointment was made for the middle of October. Kerry told the Liverpool ECHO that she thought "it wasn't serious because it wasn't being rushed".
However, further symptoms persisted and Kerry says she started to experience night sweats, more bruising, weight loss, bleeding gums and a severe sore throat. Worried about these symptoms, Kerry said she visited a walk-in where she was told she was suffering with tonsilitis and given antibiotics to treat it.
After the tonsilitis diagnosis, Kerry said that she felt like she was being "a hypochondriac". But her health continued to decline, leaving her struggling to breathe and unable to talk because she was "swallowing blood constantly".
One night, Kerry noticed a rash on her stomach and decided it was time to seek medical assistance. She said goodnight to her children - Lauren, Lilly and Jack - before heading for A&E with a friend.
Kerry said: "I was just getting worse, I felt absolutely awful. I got to A&E at 9.30pm and the triage at Whiston was brilliant.
"She said I needed blood tests and 45-minutes later they called me back in. I knew it wasn't good.
"[The nurse] told me that I wasn't going home that night. Within 10 minutes, a brilliant haematology nurse came and told me I had cancer."
Kerry was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). The rare form of leukaemia happens when the promyelocytes (a type of blood cell) don't fully develop and become cancerous.
As APL is an 'acute' leukaemia, it develops quickly and requires immediate treatment. Around 160 people in the UK are diagnosed with APL each year.
The condition is more common in adults than children and mostly affects people aged 30 and over. The main symptoms of APL are caused by not having enough healthy blood cells.
Blood Cancer UK says that people with APL may experience blood clots, extreme tiredness, weight loss, unexplained bruising or bleeding, and infections that last longer or happen more often than normal.
Kerry was started on a treatment of chemotherapy and several other drugs and continued for nine months. Now in remission, Kerry says she's thankful that she got to ring the bell to signify she was cancer free.
"If I had waited for my original [referral] appointment, I may not be here today," she says. "I was really lucky that I went in when I did."
Kerry added: "It is scary to think if you leave it longer the outcome can be worse. I wish I'd pushed for answers more.
"It's about knowing your body, if you don't think something is right go back to the GP. It's being aware and determined to find out what is the matter."
The mum-of-three, who works at Liverpool Trampoline Academy in Speke, has urged anyone who can to consider giving blood, as it can help to transform thousands of lives. To find out more about donating blood and plasma, visit here.
By sharing her story, Kerry hopes that she can raise awareness of the signs of APL. She says: "I've got three kids, I couldn't imagine what they would go through if I wasn't here."
"Know your own body, know when something isn't right and make sure you go the doctors," Kerry adds, reminding people that "if you have an appointment and you're still not feeling right, don't feel like you can't go back.
"I felt like I was being a hypochondriac and was worrying over nothing but I wasn't."
Inspired to help further and raise awareness, Kerry is planning to take part in a tandem paraglide from 950ft in the hopes of raising funds for Leukaemia and Myeloma Research UK. She says" For anyone who knows me, this is massive for me, as I like my feet on the ground!"
Kerry added: "I'd like to thank my children Lauren, Lilly and Jack for being truly amazing through this tough time. I'd like to thank my family, Jay Scouler, my team and clients at Liverpool Trampoline Academy, and my doctors and nurses at Whiston."
Anyone wishing to donate to Kerry's fundraiser can do so by clicking here.
