September: Blood Cancer Awareness Month
2 Sep. 2019Make Blood Cancer Visible 2019
September is #BloodCancerAwarenessMonth.
MDS UK Patient Support Group, together with colleagues from Anthony Nolan, Bloodwise, CLL Support Association, CML Support, Leukaemia Care, Lymphoma Action, Myeloma UK, and Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WMUK), joined Make Blood Cancer Visible, an awareness campaign sponsored by Janssen UK.
This year, the theme is “Connecting the dots”, aimed at encouraging people to identify the many symptoms that can be experienced by people with blood cancer.
Additionally, throughout the month, MDS UK will posting poems on the theme of blood cancer written by our talented MDS UK member, KateD and other MDS patients, starting with her M.D.S. poem we published in our June Newsletter.
Blood cancer is the third biggest cancer killer in the UK, claiming the lives of more than 15,000 people each year – more than breast cancer or prostate cancer. We believe that making blood cancer more visible will help people identify symptoms earlier, strengthen the community of people affected by blood cancer and help us to fund lifesaving research.
Help us raise awareness with the general public this September by sharing Kate's MDS Poems, or sending your own, and spreading the facts on this "Connecting the dots" infographic.
M.D.S. A Poem by Kate D.
My Day Starts.
I Must Do Something,
but then remember;
I can’t always do what I used to.
It Mostly Doesn’t Show
to those who don’t know.
Most Days Show how life used to be
before my Many Daily Struggles began
and Mild Depression Set in.
My Dog Sits on my shoulder.
But it Mostly Doesn’t Show
to those who don’t know.
Most Doctors Strive to do
what is best for the patient;
Many Don’t Spot the tell - tale signs,
are confused and perfunctory because
there are Multiple Different Symptoms
that confuse and delay.
My Marrow’s Diagnosis’ State is not
a good one; in fact,
My Diagnosis Stinks, but
it Mostly Doesn’t Show
to those who don’t know.
Medicinal Drugs Start.
I May Die Slowly or stay like this
for years yet as it
Mostly Doesn’t Show
to those who don’t know.
There are More Daily Struggles
for people like me
who have this fatigue,
these aching joints and bones,
this marrow that doesn’t work,
these days of despair.
Many Don’t Survive.
But I am not the worst and
for those in the know,
it Mostly Does Show
bravery, honesty, resilience.
Many Days Sort themselves out
in hospital waiting rooms on
hard plastic chairs,
Most Doctors Smile and ask how I am,
and continue to Make Some Diagnosis
if they know and can show
me that My Daily Struggle,
my MDS is Myelodysplastic Syndrome.
Make Blood Cancer Visible 2019 Infographic: Connecting the dots
Watch Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's story for #MakeBloodCancerVisible
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is the official ambassador for Make Blood Cancer Visible 2019.
We thank Janssen UK for sponsoring this work and making this awareness campaign possible. Without their help and organization, this type of work would not have been possible.
