Greater Manchester Man Fights Myeloma, Praises Award-Winning Care

A 60-year-old man from Greater Manchester has shared his journey through a life-threatening illness that caused him to lose two inches in height before he was diagnosed with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Matthew Padley, an electrical draughtsman from Hyde, began experiencing back spasms in September 2022, but he attributed the pain to minor issues and treated it with over-the-counter medications. It was not until January 2023 that doctors suggested early onset osteoporosis could be the cause of his back problems.

It wasn’t until May 2023 that Matthew received the diagnosis of myeloma, a type of blood cancer that currently affects over 33,000 people in the UK. By that time, the disease had already inflicted significant damage to his spine and bones. “It came as a shock,” Matthew stated in an interview with the Manchester Evening News. “It took a while to get my head around it. To be told it’s incurable is hard. I have lost two inches in height because of the damage.”

The path to diagnosis was fraught with challenges. In January, after months of pain, Matthew booked an appointment with a physiotherapist, who referred him for an X-ray. The radiologist confirmed a broken back, showing Matthew images that revealed severe damage to his spine. He recounted, “The only thing I could think of is that I was thrown off my seat on a bus in Australia back in 2020 and I came down with a thump.”

According to Myeloma UK, the disease constitutes about 15 percent of blood cancers and 2 percent of all cancers. The charity highlights that approximately one in two patients experience delays of more than five months before receiving a correct diagnosis due to vague symptoms that are often mistaken for minor ailments or natural aging. Many patients, like Matthew, find that by the time they are diagnosed, urgent treatment is necessary, significantly affecting their survival and quality of life.

Following his diagnosis, Matthew began chemotherapy and later underwent a stem cell transplant. The initial treatment left him with serious side effects, including hives, visual impairments, and dangerously low blood pressure requiring oxygen support. He faced multiple hospitalizations due to infections during the winter months. “Mentally, it puts a strain on you,” he reflected. “It’s been really hard on my wife, Diane, and my family. People forget how much it affects the people around you.”

Despite enduring fatigue and irreversible damage to his back, Matthew is currently in remission. He expressed relief that his body “responded to treatment as well as they could expect.” “You can’t just ignore myeloma sadly, but you can put it at the back of your mind,” he added. “We’ve officially called March 12, 2024, my remission date, and that’s what I focus on. That’s my mark saying the myeloma had been put to sleep. It will rear its head at some point, but hopefully, I can get many years with it before it comes back.”

A dedicated Scout Leader for 30 years, Matthew is determined to embrace life fully. He took a leave of absence during treatment for safety but has returned to volunteering with enthusiasm. “It felt like our wings were clipped in 2023 but now, as a couple, we can plan holidays again and go where we want when we want. I can’t do anything that will impact my back, but we’ve been able to live as normal a life as possible. You can’t let myeloma define you,” he asserted.

Matthew expressed his gratitude to his wife, family, and the staff at The Christie Cancer Centre at Tameside Hospital, where he received care over the past year. The centre has recently been awarded for its exceptional support of patients living with myeloma, which claims around 3,000 lives in the UK annually. Staff members were presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme Award for their dedication.

“The Christie at Tameside Hospital are truly deserving of this award, and I congratulate all their hard work,” Matthew stated. “The nursing staff and doctors are faultless – they just give you that level of reassurance. You need help coping with everything. Knowing that you’ve got a team with you, it really helps. What they do means a heck of a lot to people like me.”

Rhys Owens, Senior Clinical Practice Officer at Myeloma UK, emphasized the difficulties of living with myeloma, stating, “It’s very clear that staff at the Christie Cancer Centre go the extra mile every day to help patients navigate treatment and the reality of living with an incurable cancer. They provide invaluable support and are always on hand to signpost other services, lend an ear, and offer advice to patients and their loved ones. Staff also work closely with the local Rapid Diagnostic Centre to ensure people receive the right tests promptly, get diagnosed with myeloma as early as possible, and start treatment sooner.”