Katie Haywood, a 45-year-old nurse and active mother of two from Wolverhampton, was shocked to discover that an unusual bruise marked the onset of an incurable cancer. For months, she overlooked alarming symptoms, attributing them to her busy lifestyle balancing work, family, and exercise.
In June last year, after ignoring signs such as persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, frequent colds, and an “angry” bruise on her arm, Katie was diagnosed with myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer. By then, she was in end-stage kidney failure and dangerously close to total collapse.
“There were many small symptoms, but I always made excuses for them,” Katie recalls. “I was tired from nursing full-time, teaching yoga twice weekly, and playing football. I struggled up stairs but thought it was from a lingering chest infection.”
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The bruise appeared suddenly, looking like a hematoma despite no recollection of injury. It was only when the bruise didn’t heal and continued to hurt that she sought medical advice. She later learned it was due to critically low platelet levels caused by her condition.
Katie now supports Myeloma UK’s Know the Warning Signs campaign, urging others not to dismiss persistent or unusual symptoms. “You need to think deeper and connect the dots. Struggling like that isn’t normal,” she says.
When Katie finally saw a doctor, her blood tests were so alarming they had to be repeated. She was swiftly admitted to hospital, where tests showed her kidney function was perilously low, and she was severely anaemic. Medical staff warned that without urgent treatment, she would likely have collapsed within days.
Receiving her diagnosis four days later was devastating. “I thought maybe it was a simple deficiency, not cancer. It was terrifying. I worried about telling my children — my heart broke for them,” Katie shares.
She underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant last November. Though now in remission, Katie continues to face lasting effects, including reduced kidney function and treatment-induced menopause. She remains hopeful but cautious about the future. “You wonder how long the remission will last, but the successful transplant made it worthwhile.”
Myeloma affects over 35,000 people in the UK and is the third most common blood cancer. Symptoms such as tiredness, back pain, and infections are often non-specific, leading to delayed diagnosis. It’s common for patients to wait over ten months for a diagnosis, even though blood tests can detect myeloma early.
Dr Sophie Castell, Chief Executive of Myeloma UK, stresses the importance of timely diagnosis: “You wouldn’t ignore warning signs like a red light or a wet floor sign, so don’t ignore what your body tells you. Early diagnosis can save lives.”