A GLASGOW woman who was diagnosed with leukaemia after ‘feeling tired’ has spoken in support of a new campaign to recognise the symptoms.
Melissa McNaughton was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in June 2018, which came as such as shock as she recalls only experiencing tiredness and attributed this to working too hard.
After a routine blood test, Melissa's GP told her to go to hospital where she was told that she had a 99% chance of having leukaemia.
The 33-year-old from Bridgeton said: "I just heard the words “cancer” and “leukaemia”. A million questions were going through my head: what’s going to happen to me? What will my life be like? Am I going to die? How long will I live? Can I have children?
"It’s so strange all these things go through your head that you have never thought of before. I was looking around at my mum and dad and they were asking questions; my husband was just in a daze. It wasn’t nice to see the fear in their eyes.”
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Leukaemia is a form of blood cancer which kills 5000 people a year in the UK and is often diagnosed too late. Research conducted by Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care found that only 1% of respondents could recognise all four of the most widely reported symptoms of the disease.
While Melissa’s only symptom of leukaemia was fatigue, the three other most common signs are bruising, bone pain and repeated infections.
The charities have now taken action to raise awareness of the disease with a new campaign to make the symptoms more memorable.
A new film, released ahead of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September, sees Macaw parrot Henry using a range of objects to create a catchy ‘Spot Leukaemia rap’ featuring the symptoms of leukaemia.
While the ad focuses on the top four symptoms, others include fever or night sweats, bone or joint pain and swollen lymph nodes.
Melissa began treatment after a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis and recalls that she “couldn’t get through a full day” and struggled with bone and muscle pain, sickness and weakness.
She said: “I have never felt like this in my life, it got me really down for a while. But my inner warrior was not going to let that happen for long.
"I tried to power through. I was then taken off these tablets and moved onto another generation.”
Now on her fourth chemotherapy drug, Melissa has tried her best to carry on as normal. She even started a new hair extensions business after having to close her salon during lockdown.
She said: “Every day is still a struggle, and some days are worse than others. I’m getting there.
“Cancer will just have to get used to living with me because I am in no way going to let it beat me. I’m still smiling and not stopping.”
Melissa is hoping that the Stop Leukaemia campaign will encourage others to go for a blood test and recognise the main symptoms, especially as she knew very little about the disease when she was first diagnosed.
She said: “Spot Leukaemia is so important to raise awareness as I had no idea what leukaemia really was until I had it.
“It is so important to me as getting the word out there will hopefully make someone go along for a blood test!"
Fiona Hazell, Chief Executive of Leukaemia UK said, “It’s extremely worrying that less than 1% of Brits are able to identify the most common symptoms of leukaemia when 28 people are diagnosed each day in the UK.
"People underestimate their risk by thinking that leukaemia is a childhood disease.
"In reality, both incidence and mortality rates rise sharply after the age of 55. Raising awareness in this age group is critical in order to treat it early and effectively, and ultimately to improve survival rates overall.”
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Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, Chief Executive of Leukaemia Care added: "To hear that less than 1% of the UK public are able to identify the four most common symptoms of leukaemia is extremely worrying.
"Early diagnosis of leukaemia can improve survival. With over 10,000 people being diagnosed every year with leukaemia, this shows just how important it is to continue to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms and how much work needs to be done.
"We know that our new Spot Leukaemia video may ruffle some feathers but in order to raise awareness we needed to create something that will fly.
"It's crucial that if you think you have fatigue, bruising or bleeding or repeated infections that you contact your GP and ask for a blood test. It's as simple as that and we will continue to parrot-on about it."
To watch the campaign video visit www.spotleukaemia.org.uk
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