A 39-year-old mother who thought she was simply going through menopause was left devastated after being given a heartbreaking diagnosis.
Jules Fielding from Swansea had experienced unusual cycles of bleeding and thought it had something to do with menopause.
But when her period lasted one month and a half, she knew she needed to be checked by her GP.
That’s when she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a condition in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells.
She was sent to have a bone marrow extraction to see how advanced the cancer was but her CML was incurable, leaving her ‘freaked out.’
Jules also said that the news made her lose control of her life but after she started receiving treatment, she found comfort in support groups.
Jules said she would do everything she could to deal with it. She started doing gentle exercise, followed a vegan diet, and started to meditate.
After years of staying optimistic, she received a call from her consultant who gave her positive news that her latest bloods came back as undetectable.
The mom must still continue her life-long treatment as there is still a risk of it coming back. She now urges others to know the signs of the disease for early detection.
According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of CML may include bleeding easily, feeling full after eating a small amount of food, fever, bone pain, weight loss, and pain or fullness below the ribs.
Other signs include blurry vision and excessive sweating.
Zack Pemberton-Whitely, Chief Executive of Leukemia Care, said: “Early diagnosis of leukemia can improve survival. With just under 10,000 people being diagnosed every year with leukemia, 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.”
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