A student who knew "something wasn't right" when he started sleeping 18 hours a day later received a devastating diagnosis from doctors.
In 2018, Tom Hunt was spending the summer before going off to university travelling Europe with friends. After arriving in Budapest, the 18-year-old started feeling unwell, but initially just put it down to drinking too much and not getting enough sleep.
By the time he reached Prague, Tom's illness became more severe and he made the decision to cut his trip short. He flew home and visited a GP straight away, who prescribed him antibiotics for a suspected throat infection, the Liverpool Echo reports.
However, while on the train the teen noticed a lump on his leg, and was rushed to hospital for tests.
The blood tests confirmed the teenager was suffering with glandular fever, but also revealed he could have leukaemia. Tom was told to attend Manchester Royal Infirmary straight away, and by the end of the week he was officially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Tom, from Hale, said: "From the July that year I had been feeling tired when I was going to work but then I'd just finished my A-levels and it was nothing you wouldn't put down as normal. I went away with my mates and we were interrailing around Europe.
"In Budapest, I started feeling quite ill but powered on thinking I needed to stop drinking and sleep a bit more but in Prague I was just ridiculously ill. I normally sleep about seven or eight hours and I was sleeping 18 hours. I knew something wasn’t right.
"I was struggling to eat anything because my throat was so sore. My lymph nodes were all up down my neck so I just booked a flight home.
"Luckily one of the lads I was on holiday with, his dad is our local GP so he saw me straight away when I got back. He said it was just a throat infection and to take antibiotics and it should all be okay. But whilst I was away I’d crossed my legs while I was on the train asleep for like three hours and I got a massive big lump."
Tom was out with his mum when they bumped into a knee surgeon and asked about the lump on his leg, which they were told it needed to be checked. Blood tests soon showed he needed "two blood transfusions straight away" as Tom added: "He said my platelets were alright which he was surprised about but my immune system, there just wasn't one so he told me to get straight to Manchester Royal Infirmary."
Tom was admitted to hospital on the Wednesday night and by the Friday he was told he had leukaemia before he was moved to the Christie Hospital. From then until April 2019 Tom underwent gruelling treatment with blood and platelet transfusions as well as chemotherapy.
Now four years later, Tom is back doing the things he loves and is preparing to start at the University of Manchester this September as "life is finally returning to normal". Having been diagnosed with cancer just one week after experiencing symptoms, Tom is now encouraging others to get checked out as soon as possible if something doesn't feel right.
Symptoms of leukaemia
The six most common symptoms experienced by all leukaemia patients include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Fever or night sweats
- Bruising or bleeding
- Bone or joint pain
- Repeated infections
Leukaemia symptoms are hard to spot and can often be diagnosed, so people are urged to contact their GP as early as possible.
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