'I was delighted to lose 22lbs before holiday - until the reason was discovered'

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In early 2023, Edita Jucaite, a dental nurse, was pleasantly surprised to notice her weight dropping without any extra effort in her exercise routine. As she prepared for an idyllic holiday, the 36 year old attributed her slimming figure to her hectic work schedule and active social life.

But her initial joy was soon overshadowed by a shocking health revelation. "I lost about 10 kilos (22lbs) in two or three months, quite quickly and without even trying," she explained.

"At that time, I was going out a lot to eat and having takeaways. So I thought, 'This is quite good'. I was happy that I was losing weight because I was about to go to Mauritius with my partner. I was like, 'Yeah! '" Little did Edita know, her weight loss was actually concealing a serious medical issue, which only came to light after she underwent a cosmetic procedure.

She recounted: "At the end of April last year, I had lip filler, which severely bruised almost immediately. I realised I had been bruising more easily for two or three months before I had the lip filler. The doctor who gave me the lip filler kind of put it all together, the losing weight and bruising, but I think she was scared to say too much to me. She pushed me to go to have a full blood test."

A recent YouGov survey commissioned by Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK revealed that a mere 14% of adults in the UK recognise the four primary symptoms of leukaemia, which include unusual bleeding, fatigue, repeated infections, and as in Edita's case, unusual bruising. Following her colleague's advice, Edita made an appointment with her GP, yet she did not anticipate being diagnosed with blood cancer.

"I did Google before I went to the GP the symptoms of losing weight and bruising and it did come up as leukaemia, but I just brushed it off. I was like, 'No, it's not possible'," she said. "Even when I went to the GP and asked for blood tests, I joked with him, 'Google is saying that I have leukaemia, but that's impossible! ' But that same day I found out that it was actually leukaemia."

In the UK, there are 27 new leukaemia diagnoses each day, and alarmingly, nearly half will not survive past five years. Edita, from Banbury, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a type of blood cancer that progresses slowly and affects myeloid cells.

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. Symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, alongside the four more common signs of leukaemia—bleeding, bruising, fatigue, and frequent infections—merit attention.

Other symptoms indicative of various forms of leukaemia include paleness, night sweats, and bone pain. "I had the blood test in the morning, and by three o'clock in the afternoon, the GP was calling me to tell me the devastating news," revealed Edita.

"I burst into tears. And thank God I was not far from work. One of my colleagues saw me crying, so she came and comforted me. If I would have been by myself? I don't know. It's just a shock when someone tells you something like that and you don't expect it."

Edita was immediately put on chemotherapy tablets, which led to her feeling nauseous and extremely fatigued, losing another two kilos in a week. However, subsequent blood tests indicated that she was responding well to the treatment, with her white blood cell count stabilising quickly.

Within a week, she switched to the targeted cancer drug Imatinib, a cancer growth blocker that necessitates blood tests every three months to monitor her condition. "I will have to be on this (Imatinib) for life," Edita admitted, sharing her anxiety about each upcoming check-up.

"I still get a bit anxious when I have the appointment with the consultant, just in case something goes wrong, what the results are... But it's been good so far". She confessed to having days where she questions, 'Why did it happen to me?' and, 'Why do I have to take the tablet?'

She added: "At the moment, I'm fine and everything is under control, but within five, 10, years, you never know. Maybe (Imatinib) will keep the Leukaemia under control, you just have to take one day at a time and stay positive."

Throughout her ordeal, Edita was supported by her partner, Paulius. Despite their disappointment at having to cancel their trip to Mauritius following her diagnosis, they finally managed to visit in September last year after Edita had completed her treatment. Now, as a dental nurse, she hopes to raise awareness about the early signs of leukaemia to help others receive treatment sooner.

She advised: "If you're losing weight for no reason or noticing bruising, book an appointment with your GP and ask for a full blood count test as soon as you can – to either confirm or rule out any concerns."

For additional details about leukaemia, including its indicators and symptoms, check out www.leukaemiauk.org.uk. If you need support post-diagnosis, reach out to Leukaemia Care at www.leukaemiacare.org.uk.

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