Devon dad's devastating diagnosis began with UTI

A Devon dad-of-two is determined to walk his daughter down the aisle, despite being diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer. Mark Theedom, of Crediton, was initially diagnosed with a UTI and given a course of antibiotics after he became unwell in late 2023.

Initially the 64-year-old's health improved then one day, he stood up and suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed in his kitchen. His GP suspected he had suffered a mild heart attack so sent him for an ECG and blood tests.

The ECG came back clear, however, his blood test results were alarming. Mark was told to pack a bag and get to A&E as soon as he could.

His kidney function had dropped to 10 per cent. Mark was diagnosed with the incurable blood cancer myeloma - which claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year - on November 28, 2023. It is especially hard to spot as the symptoms are often vague and dismissed as ageing or other minor conditions.

By the time many patients are diagnosed their cancer has often advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.

When Mark received his diagnosis, he was told he had four months to live if he didn’t start treatment straight away. Thankfully, nearly a year on, Mark is in full remission.

He has praised the team at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E) for supporting him through the rollercoaster of treatment and giving him the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle.

“They treat you like one big family,” said Mark, who works as a wheelchair repair specialist for the NHS. “When the consultant told me, ‘if you don’t start treatment, you have four months’, I started spurting out all the things I was worried I wouldn’t be there for. All these thoughts were coming out; this means I won’t get to see my grandkids or get to take my daughter down the aisle.

"It’s all the things a dad is thinking about. Am I going to be there?

“My specialist nurse Claire grabbed my hand and said, ‘we will look after you’. She is a lot smaller than me, but she gives the biggest hugs, and she always says, ‘team hug, we’re part of a team. We’re going to get through it together’.

“They’ve all been outstanding. When I walk in, every time the receptionist says, ‘good morning, Mark’. She’s got hundreds of patients, but she knows me by name. They all smile, ask how I am and how the wife is. It makes a difference.”

Myeloma occurs in the bone marrow and currently affects more than 24,000 people in the UK. It is a relapsing-remitting cancer, meaning that although many patients will experience periods of remission following treatment, the disease will inevitably return.

More than half of patients face a wait of over five months to receive the right diagnosis and around a third are diagnosed through A&E.

While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases. Treatment is aimed at controlling the disease, relieving the complications and symptoms it causes, and extending and improving patients’ quality of life.

“When the consultant says you have four months if you don’t start treatment that’s the hard part, you go into meltdown,” recalled Mark. “It took about two to three weeks to get over the shock.”

Mark received chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. The treatment has taken a toll and left him with hearing loss, but he is now in remission and steadily getting fitter and stronger every day.

While his kidney function will never be what it was, it’s now back up to 37 per cent.

“My hearing is not so good because of the side effects of treatment,” he explained. “It makes my brain a bit fuzzy and it takes a little while to process things.

"But I’m starting to get back to full fitness; I can tell there’s a big difference. I can walk a couple of miles and I’m not out of breath as much, but I’m still struggling with stairs.”

Mark has been able to get back to doing the things he loves, including spending a much-needed holiday in his static caravan in France. He says he is determined to live a full life and make lasting memories with his family, including his wife Karen.

He is already counting down the days until he gets to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Mark said: “My consultant told me it might come back within 18 months, or it might be 10 years. On average you get four to five years after a stem cell transplant. I will take that any day.

"My daughter is getting married in 2026 and I’ll be there. I will get to take her down the aisle."

The RD&E has scooped a national award for its commitment to patients living with incurable blood cancer. It has been presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of its outstanding care and dedication to people with myeloma.

Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and eagerness to listen to their needs.

Dawn Ridgeway, haematology clinical nurse specialist at the RD&E, said: “This award illustrates the hard work and dedication provided by the whole team. We are passionate about delivering individualised care, and supporting patients through the complexities and challenges they may face living with myeloma. We are very grateful to Myeloma UK for recognising our commitment to our patients and for their ongoing support.”