WHEN mum-of-five Emma Heatherington begin to endure aches and pains, evening sweats and felt exhausted, she blamed it on ‘getting older’.
At 47, she simply assumed it was the early levels of menopause, as she hadn’t been feeling herself for a while. But unbeknownst to Emma, one thing way more sinister was occurring – a silent illness was slowly “consuming away” at her, leaving her with holes in her cranium, shoulders and breastbone.
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In 2024, Emma was driving excessive together with her profession as an creator and loving life as a mum or dad.
“I used to be flying,” she tells Sun Health. “Career sensible, I used to be as excessive as I had ever been.
“It was my first guide with Penguin Random House and I used to be off to the perfect begin.
“I assumed, ‘This is it, that is going to be my yr’. All my desires had been coming true.”
But in February, issues took a flip.
“Everything began to go terribly mistaken and the rug was pulled from underneath my toes in essentially the most horrific manner,” Emma, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, says.
The mum had began to note she was feeling extra drained than regular, and was getting dizzy at unusual instances.
She was additionally listening to “clicking noises”, sweating at evening, and usually felt unwell.
Emma assumed these signs had been merely a part of getting older; most ladies undergo menopause aged 45 to 55, with perimenopause (the transitional part main as much as menopause) usually starting within the early 40s.
Symptoms are related, together with sizzling flushes, evening sweats, vaginal dryness, nervousness and low temper, complications, be a part of ache and weight acquire.
But that wasn’t what Emma was going by way of. She was really identified with incurable myeloma – a most cancers that impacts the blood and bone marrow and kills 3,000 individuals yearly.
There are round 6,240 new instances yearly within the UK, and three,098 individuals lose their lives.
By the time Emma’s most cancers was caught, she had a damaged sternum in addition to holes, often called lesions, in her cranium, breastbone and shoulders.
“It was a comedown and a shock to go from utter elation to absolute despair,” she says.
“I assumed that maybe every part I used to be going by way of could possibly be signs of perimenopause – achy bones, tiredness, evening sweats.
“But then I had fairly extreme dizzy spells and a heavy head, a clicking bone – which was really my sternum fracturing.
“While individually, I may consider explanation why these signs had been taking place, it wasn’t till a health care provider put the items collectively that it led to a most cancers analysis.
“If I’d recognized extra about myeloma earlier than, I may have maybe flagged all these items collectively and been given solutions sooner.”
When I noticed my shiny bald head, I could not imagine it. I assumed, ‘This is most cancers – that is actual
Emma Heatherington
After a very unhealthy dizzy spell despatched Emma to A&E, she was given a CT scan.
Four weeks later – which she describes as being “the longest 4 weeks of my life” – a hematologist delivered the surprising information.
Emma, now 49, started chemotherapy earlier than being referred to Belfast City Hospital for a STEM transplant in November 2024.
She says: “A yr or extra this was occurring inside me however I had saved brushing it off.”
To cope together with her hair loss, Emma shaved her head together with her kids, making an attempt to make it really feel spontaneous and enjoyable.
But she says when she was lastly bald, it was a daunting actuality.
“The morning my hair got here out on the pillow – what was left of it – I had satisfied myself it was the least of my worries,” Emma says.
“When I noticed my shiny bald head, I could not imagine it.
“I assumed, ‘This is most cancers – that is actual’.”
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Emma needed to spend 4 weeks in isolation, solely allowed to see her fiancee Jim McKee.
“It was testing,” she says.
But finally, the hospital grew to become like a spot of sanctuary as a result of she hoped and believed within the course of.
The docs and nurses additionally chatted together with her, telling her jokes and serving to to remove her loneliness.
The day her guide, Maybe Next Christmas, was launched, Emma gave an interview dwell from her hospital mattress.
“The minute the interview was over, the doorways opened and the stem cells had been introduced in,” she says.
Even when she was allowed dwelling, after 4 weeks, Emma was nonetheless very sick and had a excessive threat of an infection and sepsis – an excessive response to an an infection which claims the lives of 5 individuals each hour within the UK.
She has been hospitalised once more twice since, after selecting up flu viruses.
‘I’ll by no means be out of the woods’
“There had been days after I could not carry a fork as much as my mouth, I used to be so drained,” Emma says.
“I could not do college runs, make dinner or go grocery purchasing however everyone stepped in.”
Emma, who takes a chemo pill daily at dwelling to maintain the myeloma underneath management, has her blood monitored each month and admits she is going to by no means be utterly “cured”.
“I dwell month to month,” she provides. “I do know I’ll by no means be out of the woods.
“There isn’t any remedy for myeloma on the minute however there may be hope a remedy will likely be discovered quickly.
“New remedy plans are popping out on a regular basis
“I’ve recognized individuals who haven’t reached the place I’m alongside the best way and that frightens me. I’m unhappy for his or her household at the start.”
The refined indicators of myeloma
THERE are over 33,000 individuals with myeloma within the UK.
Despite being the third most typical sort of blood most cancers, myeloma is often missed, as its signs are imprecise and sometimes linked to basic ageing or minor situations.
Symptoms of myeloma could embrace:
- Back ache
- Other bone ache (usually in your hips, shoulders or ribs)
- Easily damaged bones (fractures)
- Feeling very drained for no purpose
- Recurring an infection
- Muscle weak spot
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Feeling very thirsty and needing to pee extra usually than ordinary
- Losing weight with out making an attempt
- Confusion or drowsiness
Sometimes myeloma doesn’t trigger signs at first. You could discover out you’ve got it after a blood take a look at for an additional purpose.
Despite her optimistic outlook, life stays powerful.
“I dwell with extreme fatigue – which I by no means had earlier than,” Emma says.
“I had by no means damaged a bone in my life and now there are holes in my bones.
“My life has modified dramatically and I may go into a really darkish place mentally.
“But from strangers, family and friends, the kindness has been phenomenal and I’m fortunate to have a loving household.”
Don’t really feel foolish or reluctant to go to the GP. Don’t rule it out, simply in case
Emma Heatherington
She needs to share her story to assist others spot the indicators of myeloma as quickly as potential, as early analysis saves lives.
She is supporting Myeloma UK’s Know the Warning Signs marketing campaign.
While bone ache is the commonest symptom, different indicators embrace: fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle weak spot, complications, feeling thirsty and needing to pee extra usually than ordinary, and dropping pounds with out making an attempt.
Emma says: “My recommendation is to write down down every part you possibly can consider whenever you’re feeling out of types.
“Just pause and ask your self, ‘Is there anything occurring or are there different small issues?’
“It’s human nature to make excuses and brush it away ‘for now’.
“But all these small,on a regular basis belongings you would possibly ignore on their very own may add as much as a myeloma analysis.
“Don’t really feel foolish or reluctant to go to the GP. Don’t rule it out, simply in case.”
Emma’s guide Every Christmas Eve, revealed by Penguin Random House, will likely be launched on October 23.
