A MUM who will get to see her daughter grow up following treatment for an incurable form of cancer is raising awareness of the disease.
Kirsty Sadler only had an estimated five years to live after she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – a lifelong condition – on her 47th birthday.
But after a stem cell transplant, she now has her life back and is encouraging others to watch out for the symptoms as part of charity Leukaemia Care’s Blood Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM).
Kirsty, from Rugby, first put her symptoms down to her age and the stresses of a busy job.
She said, “At 46 I was a wife, a mother of a 10-year-old and a full-time worker in a very pressurised and stressful role.”
She regularly felt tired and suffered from headaches, night sweats, unexplained bruises and regular urine tract infections (UTI).
But on her 47th birthday, she collapsed suddenly and was taken to A&E where she underwent blood tests – which revealed her white blood cell count was high.
Further tests were arranged and she had to wait an agonising 10 days for her next appointment with a haematologist.
“My feelings during those 10 days swung from complete fear to nonchalance,” she said. “By the time of the meeting, I had convinced myself it was just a random test result, a blip, caused by another UTI.
“But I could tell from the start of the appointment that there was something seriously wrong. And sure enough, I was told I had chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – blood cancer.
“I hadn’t even heard of blood cancer before. I went into a stage called ‘watch and wait’ – watch the results and wait for them to change.”
Because her form of CLL is the most high-risk, she was put forward for a stem cell transplant.
“14 months on from my transplant, I feel great, I have my life back and a future ahead of me,” she said. “I’m even looking forward to getting back to work later this year.
“Without my selfless donor, I would have had five years at the most. Now I get to see my daughter grow up – and maybe even my future grandchildren!”
The BCAM campaign runs throughout September to help people spot the signs and symptoms of leukaemia, the most common of which are
fatigue, bruising or bleeding, bone or joint pain, fever or night sweats, sleeping problems and shortness of breath.
Visit www.spotleukaemia.org.uk or search social media for #SpotLeukaemia for more information.
