Staring at the blank page, with my pen poised, I was struggling to find the words. How can you thank a complete stranger for saving your life? I didn’t know anything about him, except he was in his early 20s, lived thousands of miles away, and five months earlier had been the difference between me seeing my daughter grow up and the unthinkable alternative.
It was August 2016 when my husband, Wayne, then 55, found me passed out on the bathroom floor on the morning of my 47th birthday, and rushed me to University Hospital in Coventry.
Working as an operations manager for a multinational company, and having a 10-year-old daughter, Jorja, I’d put the tiredness, headaches, night sweats and urine infections I’d been suffering for the past 12 months down to being a busy working mum. I’d even shrugged off the strange bruising that appeared around my ankles and kneecaps after a run.
But a blood test in A&E after my collapse revealed my white-blood-cell count was high. As I went home to await further test results, I flipped between fear and nonchalance – and, by the time of my appointment with the haematologist, I’d convinced myself the results were a blip due to another UTI.
Only, the specialist confirmed I had chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – a high-risk form of blood cancer that doesn’t respond to chemotherapy. Turning to Wayne, I saw that he’d turned a ghostly white, but I switched to practical mode, asking how long I had to live and what my options were.
The answer was that people with my type of cancer have an average lifespan of five years, and the only treatment would be a stem-cell transplant to replace my cancerous blood cells with healthy ones. As the consultant divulged this stream of overwhelming and terrifying information, Wayne and I sat holding hands in silence.
Telling Jorja
Denne historien er fra April 06, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 06, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EAT WELL (even on a budget) - Easy meals that make the most of your store cupboard, and won't break the bank
Courgette and pesto pasta
The CATCH
The house was perfect - so why was it so cheap?
Elizabeth and THE RAIN
She had made Lisa's life a misery- and now she was back
I won't stop taking my daughter out of school... - TO GO TO THE BEACH!
One mum tells us why fun, spontaneous days are sometimes more important than being in the classroom
Where's the JUSTICE?
Catherine Wardle's son died over a senseless Snapchat spat
Fat-shamed BY MY MUM
Gemma Hall, 28, showed off her snaps and got a dose of tough love
Fighting for SURVIVAL
When Danielle Camilleri collapsed at 40, the diagnosis was devastating
Finding love AFTER LOSS
As Kelsey Parker moves on after losing her husband Tom, we investigate how difficult it is to find love again in widowhood
Phil's revenge
Phillip Schofield is back on our screens after a 16-month hiatus and it seems it's all-out war between the former presenter and ITV.
'I'm too scared TO HAVE SURGERY'
Christine Lampard on gratitude, staying in shape and date nights with husband Frank.