June Kelly, 48, from Micklefield, Leeds, was rushed to hospital after a metallic taste in her mouth led to a diagnosis of incurable blood cancer myeloma. The mother-of-two described herself as being in the fittest condition of her life when the symptom appeared.
Sudden symptom leads to devastating news
In March 2021, June noticed she was getting short of breath when running up hills, struggling to get warm, and experiencing a persistent metallic taste that mouthwash could not remove. She visited her GP, who ordered blood tests. The next day, she was told to go to hospital urgently as her kidneys were failing at just five percent function, requiring emergency dialysis and a transplant.
A week later, on 30 March, tests confirmed she had myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects more than 35,000 people across the UK. The condition is rarely curable but can be managed with treatment. Doctors explained that her failing kidneys caused the metallic taste.
Breaking the news to family
June described telling her family, including son Max, now 25, and daughter Mia, now 20, with support from her husband Adrian, 57, as one of the hardest parts. She said: "I don't think I told people the name of the cancer. I had never heard of myeloma. We just said it's a form of cancer and it's treatable but it will never go away and there were a lot of tears."
She added: "I dealt with it on a need-to-know basis but Adrian read everything. I told the doctors: Tell me what to do and I will do it. In my head, I knew that whatever happened I needed to be well enough to meet my sister's baby as she was pregnant and due that year."
Treatment journey and ongoing challenges
June started chemotherapy the day after diagnosis, receiving weekly injections for four months. She said: "I was lucky that I didn't really have many chemotherapy side effects apart from slightly blurry vision, and the treatment and dialysis made me feel so much better. It made me realise just how unwell I'd been."
Last September, she underwent a stem cell transplant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. After a four-week hospital infection, she returned home and continues maintenance chemotherapy in tablet form. Due to her condition, she cannot receive a kidney transplant and requires dialysis three times a week.
Living life to the fullest
Despite challenges, June remains positive, buying a campervan with Adrian to travel across the UK, including a trip to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness with a dialysis stop in Inverness. She said: "I enjoy the good days and just get through the bad." Her goals include seeing her niece born, her son graduate, and her daughter graduate.
Myeloma Awareness Week campaign
June is sharing her story during Myeloma Awareness Week to support Myeloma UK's campaign for early detection. Dr Sophie Castell, Chief Executive at Myeloma UK, said: "The most important thing you can do is get your symptoms checked. We know that myeloma can be difficult to diagnose, so bring the Myeloma UK Symptom Translator with you to the GP, ask for answers and get to the bottom of what's causing your pain, infections or fatigue. Know the warning signs, put your health first and help us catch myeloma earlier."
