Well here I am, 52m, diagnosed with Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM) 18/11/24, bit mind numbing the whole experience. TAD LONG POST…
So, I am an Engineer, but not on the “Tools” as such, more office based, that was my excuse why I couldn’t keep up with my father-in-law, with outside jobs, I just though I was out of shape!!. So after a yearly check up at work may 2024, (Occ health) were my lung capacity was tested, 70 year old lungs, ok, I know I’m out of shape!!
the pivotal moment was, outside making kindling for the fire, with the Mrs, started to get extremely dizzy/out of breath to the point were I had to sit down before I fainted, Mrs got upset and demanded I went to the GP, GP asked whether I was a ex smoker (which I am 6 years ago) courtesy of smoking you have asthma, to inhaler, reactor and preventer, reactor was ready Monday, took that no issues, Preventer wasn’t ready till Wednesday, picked that up after work Wednesday, took as prescribed, Thursday Morning pretty much blind in my left eye (mainly central vision) after discounting cataract/glaucoma (specsavers) immediate referral to doctors, they advised AE, then got a referral to the eye specialist within 24 hrs, blood taken, I’m anaemic, impossible, I eat healthy, now right eye injections (joyful experience) 40 week wait for haematology, went back to the GP, with a concern about the 40 week wait, blood test on the Wednesday, call on the Thursday by the GP, Myeloma, holy sh*t, the C word, saw the consultant, wasn’t 100% sure it was Myeloma, so the tsunami of blood test, bone marrow (another joyful experience) I have finally got a definitive diagnosis it is Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM), I’m still at work, well only just my Chemo starts 9th/10th Dec, 6 courses, not 100% sue what that actually means, once a week or will it be weekly?
so the RIDE will get even more “Interesting” very soon
Paul