A Scots dad identified with most cancers for a second time was separated from his household as he needed to bear a stem cell transplant throughout lockdown.
John Tod, from Midlothian, described the expertise as "extraordinarily isolating" as he wasn't allowed guests for 3 months.
The 41-year-old initially believed he had a viral an infection and swollen glands when he was first identified with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2018.
Dad-of-three John was then shortly taken into hospital for gruelling remedy as he underwent 60 rounds of chemotherapy because of the aggressive nature of the most cancers.
The most cancers left a "massive impression" on the household as his sons have been all a younger age on the time however John was advised he was in remission only a few months later.
As reported in Edinburgh Reside, on the finish of 2019 a routine blood test confirmed the most cancers had returned, with John's solely choice being a stem cell transplant.
After ready on a donor, John and his spouse had been getting ready for the process in March 2020, after they have been advised he wouldn't have the ability to have any guests for 3 months because of the danger of catching coronavirus.
John stated: "I went to the GP as a result of the glands in my neck have been swollen up like two golf balls underneath my chin, however at first they thought it was viral however they took bloods to test, so after they got here again they thought i used to be anaemic as a result of my white blood cell depend was additionally actually low, there was no different indicators it might have been a blood most cancers
"The numbers have been getting decrease and decrease so that they despatched me to the Western Basic after which the blood most cancers specialist stated for the time being we expect it is some kind of most cancers that you've got. At that time my entire world simply collapsed.
"The sort of most cancers, it is often folks over the age of 60 that get identified.
"I believe I had two days to go house, then I used to be in hospital for 3 months for the unique actually sturdy chemo, I used to be actually actually sick with it.
"My ex-partner would carry the boys into see me however due to the remedy I used to be so sick I would solely be awake for about ten minutes.
"For them emotionally it was actually arduous as a result of I misplaced all my hair, my youngest one it actually affected him as a result of I regarded actually totally different
"My youngest suffers anxiousness and separation now as a result of we have been aside for therefore lengthy, for instance he'd assume he can be seeing me subsequent week however then I would get sick or want to enter hospital once more and it could possibly be a interval of three or 4 weeks we did not see one another for.
"I bought put into remission then my remedies stopped in about January 2019, then I began to get higher however within the October I used to be getting routine bloods performed and it was picked up then, I used to be in work and the GP phoned and I knew immediately."
Getting ready to go to Glasgow to bear the stem cell transplant, John was once more separated from his youngsters when lockdown hit, that means he was alone for his whole hospital keep.
With the remedy needing to go forward as deliberate, John, a police sergeant, had restricted contact with all of his family members for weeks earlier than he was in a position to come house.
John added : "It was rather a lot tougher psychologically to take care of the second time.
"It was so isolating, my spouse Kim had rented a flat throughout from the hospital to return in daily for ethical assist as a lot as something.
"Two days earlier than I used to be on account of go in they phoned and stated you will not be allowed any guests in any respect due to the pandemic.
"The telephone and wifi reception within the hospital was horrendous, so even once I wasn't sick attempting to have a dialog with somebody was so irritating, I could not even video name the children."
Now in remission, John was determined to spend extra time along with his sons after the prognosis "modified his outlook on life."
Nonetheless recovering from the remedy, he started serving to coach his son's soccer group Bayside Hawks FC, which has since had a large impression on his life.
Hoping to offer the boys one thing too stay up for, John and the opposite coaches have organised an away pleasant in Blackpool, which the 41-year-old is at present fundraising for to cowl journey prices and a lodge keep.
He added: "By way of every part, it is given me a very totally different perspective on life, i simply need to spend as a lot time as I can with the children.
"I am an enormous soccer fan, I like the sport and all my boys are soccer loopy, I would constructed up a superb relationship with Robert, the top coach on the group after which I used to be discovering I had additional time once I wasn't in a position to return to work because of the transplant, so I requested if I might take part.
"I like it, I needed to offer them one thing again and take them right down to Blackpool earlier than the season begins. I needed to pay for the coach transport however we have been hit with extra donations so I am hoping to cowl the lodge for them too, that might be sensible.
"I am additionally doing my marathon in June to try to elevate cash that method too."
You possibly can donate to John's fundraiser right here.
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