'My blood cancer was dismissed as a pulled muscle'
He said he had twinges in his ribs and back for a year and a half before his diagnosis, but initially put them down to playing a lot of golf.When the pain got worse in the middle of 2020, he consulted his GP who told him he had likely pulled a muscle and that the twinges would sort themselves out.
"It progressed over months to being quite debilitating," he recalled. "It got to a point where it started having a real impact on my life."After blood tests he was diagnosed with myeloma in August 2021. "Being struck down with this was a complete shock," he said. "My dad had died of cancer and then, in the last 12 years, two of my brothers died of cancer. I thought it was the end."But the team at Blackpool Victoria Hospital "were amazing", he said. Mr Tottoh had radiotherapy to treat the damage to his bones. He then had chemotherapy, followed by a stem cell transplant and has been in remission since November 2022.
'Positive mindset'
Throughout, the support of family and friends has been invaluable, he said."It takes a small army to get you through this ordeal," said Mr Tottoh, who is still on maintenance treatment to keep his cancer at bay for as long as possible. "The most important thing now is having people in your corner, people who care, people who lift you up when you're down. "My family and closest friends have done that."Nearly five years on from his diagnosis, Mr Tottoh is now determined to make memories with his family and his grandson Theo, nine."My mindset is really positive," he said. "I will see my grandson go to university and get married - if that's what he wants to do. I will see my kids fulfil their dreams. "Right now, I'm in an amazing place and I'm on the path to living with myeloma for a very long time."He said if anyone feels unsure about any symptoms they may have, they should visit the doctor."Nobody knows your body better than you, so own it," he said.
Myeloma
Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrowDespite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditionsWhile it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of casesTreatment can lead to periods of remission but the cancer will inevitably come backSource Myeloma UK
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