Back in 2018 I was diagnosed with a myeloproliferative neoplasm. No, I didn’t know what one of those was either – they’re a group of blood cancers that are pretty rare.  

Being diagnosed with anything that involves the word “cancer” is scary, especially when it comes with the words “incurable” attached. There’s a lot of misinformation about MPNs online – and even experienced doctors can have trouble diagnosing them correctly. At first, every time I went for an appointment my own prognosis kept changing from good to bad to worse. At one point I was told I might not make it to see 2019! I had an 18-month old daughter and the thought of not being there for her as she grew up made it a very stressful time indeed.

MPN Voice were incredibly helpful to me from the moment I first called them – reassuring me about the reality of my condition. Through the charity I discovered a network of fellow MPN patients. Hearing their stories and feeling their solidarity really helped get my head around the diagnosis. We all know there is hope on the horizon even if those potential cures are taking a little longer than we’d all like.

Since the initial anxiety around being diagnosed, I am now living happily and fully with an MPN called polycythemia vera. Only two in every 100,000 people will be diagnosed with it each year in the UK. And I’m even more of a statistical anomaly as it’s unusual for people to get it when they’re young (alright, middle aged). With a bit of luck my PV will stay in its relatively dormant state for some time. And if it ever decides to get worse, I know MPN Voice will be there to support me along the way. 

Before being diagnosed I used to run a bit but never made it over 15km. Getting diagnosed with an MPN made me determined to do things that I hadn’t been able to do before – to prove that I was on top of it. Running this half marathon and raising money for this great charity is one of those things. Thanks for reading! 

Tim