- Sep 2, 2022

ABOUT | Blood Cancer Awareness

| BLOOD CANCER | Awareness Month | September 2022

Apologies for the long post but it seems an appropriate time to share something. This post is not art related , but please take the time to read ... I don’t tend to share anything personal, but this is rather close to my heart.

Blood cancer is often diagnosed at late stage due to the vague symptoms

The Stats

Blood cancer is a type of cancer that affects your blood cells. Over 40,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year in the UK, and over 250,000 people are currently living with blood cancer.

Stats Source

Blood Cancer Awareness Month | Punctured Artefact

In blood cancer, abnormal blood cells can keep multiplying. They may not be working properly and they may stop healthy blood cells from working. This can stop your blood doing the things it normally does to keep you healthy, like fighting off infections or helping to repair your body

| In 2018 I went to the doctors with back pain & bouts of stomach pain. I was finally diagnosed 13 months later with a combination of High-grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (DLBCL) & Low Grade Follicular Lymphoma |

The Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of blood cancer can be vague and difficult to spot.

They include;

• Unexplained bruising or bleeding • Unexplained weight loss • Lumps or swellings • Drenching night sweats • Persistent, recurrent or severe infections • Unexplained rash or itchy skin • Bone or joint pain • Tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep

| I am not on active treatment. I am currently on ‘Watch & Wait’ monitoring, whereby I take a trip to the haematology dept every few months to check for any signs of the disease coming back. I am 2 years clear | I am grateful that I pushed for diagnostic testing at the doctors . I am grateful that I have treatment options ahead of me. I am grateful for the love, care & kindness of others.