A BARROW mum who received a devastating diagnosis of leukaemia initially thought she had indigestion.

Alison Wilson first sought help at age 25 when she began losing weight, noticing bruising and becoming generally more tired, something she put down to her busy life.

Alison received a blood test due to the extreme tiredness – and it did show an increased white blood count – but it was never followed up even though it should have been.

Three years later Alison suffered severe pain in her left side, which she believed to be indigestion.

She eventually went to the GP where, upon being seen by a junior doctor, was sent straight to the hospital for blood tests.

That same evening, 9pm on a Friday, Alison received a call asking her to go straight back to the hospital as she needed to be seen by a doctor.

For Alison the fear of cancer was there as she knew what a high white blood count meant.

The next morning a haematologist came in to see Alison and broke the news that he was sure she had a blood cancer called Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

Alison recalls breaking down and screaming but being comforted by the doctor.

She was kept in hospital for two weeks, beginning treatment to reduce her white blood count and to confirm the diagnosis a bone marrow biopsy was needed.

Taking part in a trial treatment proved effective for Alison and she stayed on it for five years.

She was also able to switch medications to try to conceive - something which happened after a few months and Alison and her husband were able to welcome a healthy baby girl.

Alison returned to her medications after five months off so she was able to feed her baby and is doing well. 

Alison’s symptoms of leukaemia were bruising, extreme tiredness and losing weight.

Her story is being told after a recent study found one in three people could not recognise any of the four most widely reported symptoms of the deadly cancer - fatigue, bruising, unusual bleeding and repeated infections.

Other symptoms of leukaemia include fever or night sweats, bone or joint pain and swollen lymph nodes.

Anyone who has any of these symptoms is being urged by charity Leukaemia Care to ask their GP for a blood test.

For more information visit spotleukaemia.org.uk.