Andrew was taken straight to hospital with police warning him his life was in danger(Image: Leukaemia Care)

'I went to the doctor for tests - within hours the police were knocking at my door'

Andrew Moyens was told his life was in danger and he needed to pack a bag and get to hospital - escorted by police

by · GloucestershireLive

When dad Andrew Moyens began to feel completely shattered he couldn't work out why. He was fit, didn't smoke and had a relatively healthy lifestyle.

He'd had a run of infections which had wiped him out but even so as he lay on the sofa watching his wife put away the Christmas decorations both wondered what was going on. The 52-year-old told how it was early in December 2022 that he began to feel exhausted all the time.

He said: "I was falling asleep between jobs and had a terrible chest infection that had me waking up from sleep unable to breathe. At times, I felt scared I might die, it was so difficult to catch my breath. It was becoming increasingly difficult to walk even 400 yards, without having to stop four or five times to get my breath back."

He saw the GP who gave him medication including antibiotics which seemed to help a little, but he was still very tired. He worked in the motor industry, delivering and inspecting cars but was self-employed and as Christmas approached he felt unable ot take time off.

The Aston Villa fan, from Sheldon, Birmingham, said: "I am normally quite an active guy - I play golf regularly, don’t smoke and consider myself reasonably fit. But I ended up having to take a week off work, during which time I slept for three days and barely got out of bed.

"Over Christmas, I was still not right. I hardly joined in with all the celebrations and barely drank. My wife couldn’t understand what was up with me. I was just so tired all the time."

Andrew spent months in hospital(Image: Leukaemia Care)

Days after the new year celebrations he returned to the GP but saw a different doctor who immediately did blood tests. He said: "I didn’t think too much of it and went home. I remember being too exhausted to take down the Christmas tree and lay on the sofa watching my wife putting all the decorations away. We joke about it now, but at the time, she wondered why I was lying around watching her do all the hard work!"

That evening his 13-year-old daughter had a dance class which he was too tired to take her to. Instead, she went with his wife while he lay watching the darts final from the sofa with some cheese and crackers and a small glass of wine.

He said: "At about 9:20pm, there was a knock at the door. I assumed it was my daughter arriving back from dance. But when I went to the door, there were two police officers standing there.

"They explained that the doctor had been trying to reach me all day, but because I had not seen any of the texts and had not responded, they had been sent to do a drive past to check that I was okay. They told me that my blood tests that morning had revealed there was a danger to my life - I should pack an overnight bag and they would accompany me to the hospital straight away."

Andrew is looking forward to the future after taking ill at Christmas in 2022(Image: Leukaemia Care)

Shocked Andrew headed with them to A&E where he was told his white blood cell count was "through the roof" and his red blood cells were really low. He said: "Effectively they were attacking each other."

He had an immediate blood transfusion then the next morning, a bone marrow biopsy. He said: "A day later, on Thursday 5th January, the doctor came to see me and told me I had AML (acute myeloid leukaemia)."

He added: "I really knew nothing about leukaemia at the time. My only awareness, being an Aston Villa fan, was that Stiliyan Petrov had it. Of course, it was a very frightening diagnosis.

"Being told you have cancer makes you fear the worst and all sorts of thoughts go through your head. The doctor offered to call my wife and explain everything to her, and it was hard to hear her crying over the phone."

Andrew was put in isolation and within days - on the following Saturday - he began three months of treatment in hospital including three rounds of chemotherapy. To cut the risk to his health he was only allowed to see his wife and didn't see his daughter for a month.

He discovered he needed a bone marrow transplant and fortunately, both his brother and sister were a 100% match. It was decided his brother would be the donor.

What is Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and signs to look for

Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells. Acute leukaemia means it progresses quickly and aggressively and usually requires immediate treatment.

The symptoms of AML usually develop over a few weeks and become worse over time. Symptoms can include:

  • looking pale or "washed out"
  • feeling tired or weak
  • breathlessness
  • frequent infections
  • unusual and frequent bruising or bleeding, such as bleeding gums or nosebleeds
  • losing weight without trying to

Speak to a GP if you or your child have possible symptoms of AML. Although it's highly unlikely that leukaemia is the cause, these symptoms should be investigated.

If you are diagnosed with the condition you can get help and support including from:

He returned to hospital to prepare for the surgery, again isolated to reduce the risk of infection, then in May 2023 he had a transplant where he was given 13 bags of stem cells. But despite it going well when he left hospital after five weeks in there doctors warned him there was still a long way to go.

However despite a few problems, including his kidneys stopping at one point, by mid-summer he was in remission and cancer-free and now sees the doctor once a month. He is back to work, although he has had to switch to a desk job, but says it is great to be back, even for three days a week.

He said: "I will be eternally grateful for all the medical care I received at every level, but I also couldn’t have got through this without the love and devotion of my wife and daughter, and the support and encouragement from my brother-in-law.

"They were my only link to the outside world during my darkest days in hospital. Being surrounded by people that care really is vital to a positive mental attitude which definitely helped me in my fight against my diagnosis."

He added: "I have always been very positive and always knew that I was going to fight this and get through it for my family. I have been strong all along and mentally, I feel stronger now than ever.

"The whole experience has 100% changed me though. My outlook on life is very different these days. I am much calmer and will not allow myself to get stressed or angry. What’s the point when you can’t change what you can’t change?"

Andrew is now supporting Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK to raise awareness of leukaemia after a poll of 2,000 UK adults found that less than a sixth (14%) of the UK adult population are able to identify all the four main symptoms of the deadly blood cancer. These are:

  • unusual bruising
  • unusual bleeding
  • fatigue
  • and repeated infections

Every day, 27 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia - around 10,000 a year. There are currently more than 50,000 are living with the disease but sadly it will kill 5,000 every year.

Despite common misconceptions, leukaemia is not just a childhood disease as it predominantly affects those over 65. Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care are urging the public and healthcare professionals to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of leukaemia and to contact their GP and request a blood test if they have any concerns.