Philip lives in Brockenhurst in Hampshire. He is former Chair of New Forest Rotary and was supported by Wessex Cancer Support’s Waterside cancer support centre. He is a member of the ActionMan committee.
Fairly vague symptoms led me to see my GP and to have some blood tests that identified pre diabetes type 2 as the likely cause. However, subsequent routine blood tests also identified the rapid onset of a rare blood cancer known as myelodysplastic syndrome and the high risk of leukaemia.
Basically my immune system was failing. Rapid chemotherapy prepared me for a bone marrow blood stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor and two years later I am back hill walking and sailing.
Without that initial visit to my GP my immune system would have just packed up and my death certificate would have given pneumonia or some other infection as the cause of death.
Different types of cancer can develop in you at any time of your life and anyone can get it.
I urge you to listen to your body and contact your GP if you think something might be wrong. Do not leave it until it is too late.