A YOUNG man whose leukaemia was initially mistaken for just a headache has revealed the exact moment he realised something wasn’t right.
Hamish Graham was just 23 when he started feeling dizzy and tired in May 2020.
But his illness came at an unfortunate time, during the peak of the Covid lockdown when GP appointments were few and far between.
Eventually, Hamish from Littleborough, Greater Manchester, was taken to an out-of-hours practice where he was told he likely had a migraine.
While on a walk to see his grandma, the ODEON cinema worker started feeling unusually tired, which he knew was a sign that something more serious was going on.
Despite having a gut feeling something was wrong, it took pressure from mum Sarah, 57, for Hamish to get further blood tests.
It was later revealed Hamish had leukaemia, a cancer of the blood cells which originates in the bone marrow or lymphatic system.
Tragically, Hamish had previously been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour at age seven so is familiar with being treated for cancer.
After his latest health shock, he had to isolate for six weeks due to the pandemic before undergoing a gruelling course of chemotherapy which lasted a bleak three years.
He was finally given the all-clear last year.
I think a lot of the stuff from the first battle resurfaced and the stuff we had to deal with, especially being in isolation, brought everything back up.
Sarah, 57
“It was just before lockdown and we were going to walk around to my grandma’s,” he said.
“We couldn’t go inside because of Covid, but we were going to walk around and wave through the window.
“I just felt tired and I couldn’t go any further. My mum then tried to get me in for a blood test.”
Hamish said the experience felt a déjà vu, as he’d been through all this trauma before.
“It got me down a bit,” he says.
“I feel okay now and am looking forward to getting back to speed with work. I still work now, but not as many hours as I used to, but I’m getting there.”
Sarah, who owns her own travel company, says Hamish’s recent leukaemia diagnosis brought back some awful memories from when he was a child.
“It was quite traumatic for both of us,” she said.
“I think a lot of the stuff from the first battle resurfaced and the stuff we had to deal with, especially being in isolation, brought everything back up.
“One of the good things was that some of the staff that treated Hamish when he was seven were still there.”
Sarah added that Hamish’s most recent treatment had been challenging.
“He had lots of infections and the Hickman line that was put in dislodged a few times,” she added.
“He had adverse reactions and had to come off some of the drugs. It wasn’t plain sailing.”
Having battled cancer twice, Hamish is now set to raise cash for the charities that have supported him over the years.
Hamish has organised a big event to raise more than £38,000 for The Teenage Cancer Trust and The Christie Teenage and Young Adult Unit.
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, causing the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells.
These abnormal cells can’t fight infection, and they overtake healthy blood cells, preventing them from working properly.
This excess production of abnormal white blood cells affects the production of normal blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections, carrying oxygen, and helping blood clot.
Leukaemia can be acute or chronic.
Acute leukaemia appears suddenly and grows quickly, while chronic leukaemia appears gradually and develops slowly over months to years.
Acute leukaemia requires immediate treatment.
Symptoms of leukaemia can be vague and not specific, and they may resemble symptoms of the flu and other common illnesses. Some symptoms include:
A medical professional can diagnose leukaemia using a physical exam, medical history, blood tests, bone marrow tests, and genetic tests. Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, or stem-cell transplantation
