June Kelly, 48, from Micklefield, Leeds, was at the peak of fitness when a strange metallic taste in her mouth led to a diagnosis of incurable myeloma in March 2021. The business owner, who had completed triathlons, half marathons, and the Great North Swim twice, began experiencing shortness of breath and difficulty getting warm. After an asthma review, her GP ordered blood tests, which revealed her kidneys were functioning at just 5%. She was rushed to York Hospital for urgent dialysis.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Doctors explained that the metallic taste was due to kidney failure. A week later, on March 30, 2021, tests confirmed she had myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects over 33,000 people in the UK. While treatable, it is incurable, with periods of remission followed by relapse. June began chemotherapy the day after diagnosis, receiving weekly injections for four months. She also had a CT scan showing a fracture in her lower back and lesions in her pelvis, hips, and ribs.
Impact on Family and Life
Telling her children, Max (then 25) and Mia (then 20), was one of the hardest parts. Her husband Adrian, 57, researched myeloma extensively, while June chose to limit information to protect her mental health. She focused on milestones, such as meeting her sister's newborn baby. In September 2021, she underwent a stem cell transplant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. After 100 days, she started maintenance chemotherapy in tablet form, taking it for 21 days with a week off.
Living with Myeloma
Due to her cancer, June cannot have a kidney transplant and requires dialysis three times a week. She initially avoided support groups but later found comfort connecting with other patients. Despite challenges, she bought a campervan with Adrian and traveled to the Scottish Highlands, arranging dialysis stops in Inverness. 'It's harder going on holiday because of dialysis, but we had always said we would get a motorhome when my husband retired, so we have done that early,' she said.
New Outlook
Cancer changed June's perspective. 'I was always a very nervous person and didn't like upsetting people. Now, if I don't want to do something I just don't. I don't worry about little things,' she explained. 'Myeloma has taken away so much but also has made me a stronger person, who no longer worries about the little things and appreciates every day.'
