The reason for the walks this year is that I was diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow (Multiple Myeloma) in August 2013, and I was 47 years old at the time, thinking I was going to live for ever. I had even had a full health check a couple of years earlier and passed with flying colours, no issues or concerns. So being diagnosed with cancer after being rushed into hospital for what at the time seemed to be an infection of my kidneys was a bit of shock. Not just for me, but my entire family. It really was like life had been put on hold, just waiting to see what would happen. It became impossible to make any plans for the future and very quickly I became too weak and tied to do much anyway.

The first 13 months of my treatment was mainly chemotherapy that involved attending hospital once a week and taking a shed load of tablets and injections and more blood tests that you could imagine. At that point it was not the cancer that was making me feel ill and weak, it was the chemotherapy that was making me feel so tired and lethargic. A most horrible feeling where you are just too tired to really care that much about anything. Deep down you know there are things you should be doing, but it’s just to tiring to do them, all you want to do is sleep.

I stopped the chemotherapy a few weeks before my first stem cell transplant using my own stem cells. For a while I started to feel less tired and that was a great feeling. However for the doctors to inject my
own stem cells back into me, they first had to kill off my own bone marrow. A very large dose of chemotherapy was involved in that. That was over Christmas 2014. By the time I got home in January 2015 I was so weak I could not walk more than 10 feet without needing a rest. I had no immune system at that point. Your immune system is in your bone marrow, of which mine had just been destroyed. Catching full blown Flu did not help much as well!!! It is impossible to describe just how weak and ill I felt. Over about 3 weeks I lost nearly 2 1/2 stone in weight. But after a few months I was a bit stronger, ready for the second stem cell transplant using donor stem cells which took place in May 2015. This was the big one, and quite scary. There was a good chance that the new bone barrow and subsequent new immune system that my body would grow could see the rest of my body as foreign and attack my own body. I was very lucky and that did not really happen to much extent. I know of people that where less fortunate. So I really do thank my lucky stars. I could have been cured of cancer only to end up with a more debilitating illness.

Near the end of 2015 I was told that the Stem Cell treatment had worked at least for the time being and the cancer was in remission. I can't tell you how much of a huge relief that was, not only from me but my entire family. The whole family atmosphere went from dark and gloomy to bright with plans for the future overnight. Hard to describe how wonderful that was.

At the beginning of 2015 (my first stem cell transplant I decided that
if I got through all this treatment then I would walk Hadrian’s Wall. Something I have always wanted to do; but like most people, just keep putting things off. Don’t! you may never get the chance in the future. I was lucky, really really lucky.  It looks like I will get the chance for my epic walk.

At that time I started planning I could hardly walk more than a few feet. My 2^nd stem cell transplant (with donor stem cells) came in May of 2015. By the end of 2015 I was in remission and started going to the gym to get fitter. Thanks to my wife and daughters for the encouragement. I still have to go to Addenbrooks Hospital regularly for checkups and bone strengthening infusions. But I am on the mend and feeling much better. So this walk is just my way to say thanks you to everyone and hopefully help others in some small way by raising some funds for cancer treatment.

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