Mark Nicholas – You Shouldn’t Be Able To Walk
In the latest episode of Cure Leukaemia’s Let’s Talk Blood Cancer: The Patients Podcast, host Adam Joyce sits down with Mark Nicholas to share the story of his battle with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) after a visit to the doctor following a rotator cuff injury.
Mark’s Symptoms
In 2017, Mark was fit, playing rugby weekly and enjoying a healthy lifestyle. After living with a 6-month-old rotator cuff injury, he decided it was finally time to see a doctor.
Following a scan, he was referred to a shoulder specialist and asked if he could have a blood test at his next appointment. After the test, Mark’s doctor asked whether he had experienced any other symptoms: tiredness, weight loss, or a loss of colour in his skin.
Having lost 10kg within a few months, Mark hadn’t thought much about the cause, putting it down to intense rugby training. Similarly, he believed his tiredness was simply the result of working hard.
After noticing several missed calls from the doctor and his wife, Louise, on a Wednesday evening after rugby training, Mark returned home immediately.
That evening, Mark called the doctor back and was told his blood count was 350. When he asked what that meant, the doctor replied it was “probably leukaemia.” After staying awake all night, Mark and Louise went straight to Warwick Hospital the following morning.
“I have never had a panic attack, but that night I could hardly get up the stairs.”
Mark’s Treatment
After undergoing a further round of blood tests at Warwick Hospital, Mark’s blood count had jumped from 350 to 450, due to the stress of the news that he may have Leukaemia. This blood test confirmed Mark had Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML).
Mark was then put on a drug whose job it was to “hide the leukaemia” as opposed to cure it. For this drug to work, he needed the leukaemia in his body to be at 0% – at the start of Mark’s treatment, he was at 100%.
After being on the drug for 8 months, Mark felt it was working and was happy with how his health was improving. However, his doctor, Professor Charlie Craddock, was not happy as the leukaemia in Mark’s body was stuck at 10%.
At this point, Professor Craddock suggested a Stem Cell Transplant was the way to go for Mark, “You’re fit, you’re healthy, Stem Cell Transplant”. To undergo the transplant, Mark was put on strong chemotherapy, the amount normally used for a “fit 25-year-old”.
After receiving his transplant from an anonymous donor, Mark had to stay in isolation within the hospital. This was the part of his treatment which Mark found the hardest, being unable to see his family and only having the view of the other side of the hospital to look out to.
Post- Stem Cell Transplant
Following his stem cell transplant, Mark received the ‘all clear’ relatively quickly. His transplant nurse told him that if he could get himself walking by Christmas, he would be doing very well.
Mark began by walking for 10 minutes at a time, then 20, progressing rapidly to cycling 50 miles on weekend rides with his club, the Kenilworth Knackers (all much before Christmas).
However, he experienced a scare when he fainted twice outside a coffee shop after a long weekend ride. He realised he had been “pushing his body too far” in an attempt to regain his pre-diagnosis fitness.
Mark’s Donor
After his transplant, Mark wanted to thank the donor who had ultimately “saved his life.”
Through the donor register, patients are unable to meet their donor until two years after the transplant, although one letter can be sent before then.
Two years later, Mark contacted his donor, Thomas, who lives in Germany. Mark, Thomas, and their families spent a weekend together, getting to know each other and sharing their gratitude. Nearly ten years on, they are still in contact.
Looking Forward
Mark now regularly raises funds for Cure Leukaemia, supporting clinical trials for those affected by blood cancer. His involvement was inspired by meeting Lizzie Dean, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) at 23 and whose life was saved through a clinical trial.
Mark has taken part in Cure Leukaemia’s London 2 Paris ride several times and will be supporting the event as crew this year. He plans to return to cycling next year with the Kenilworth Knackers, continuing to raise vital funds for blood cancer patients worldwide.
Watch Mark’s podcast episode in full:
“Just be as positive as you can be, and as fit as you can be. And if you know someone who has gone through it, use them!”
