Jon has been sustained by the incredible support he has received
'I received my diagnosis in February 2002 after my right leg started to swell up during the day. But looking back I had been suffering from tiredness and night sweats at the time. As I had broken my femur in a car crash some years earlier I presumed that my leg swelling was linked to this fracture. So when I visited my GP I was rather surprised when he completed an extensive examination and started talking about the possibility of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
'There followed a biopsy, a bone marrow test, CT scan and blood tests. The consultant informed me that I had low-grade follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The bone marrow test confirmed that it had spread into my bone marrow. We decided to tell our three children the whole truth, though our youngest child was only 2 years old at the time.
'I had eight courses of chemotherapy. This had little effect, so I started on a further course of chemotherapy in combination with monoclonal antibody therapy. By June the following year I was officially in remission, but had another dose of chemotherapy to prepare myself for a stem cell collection, which was a success. I was able to work almost throughout my treatment and joined my local gym. I found that the exercise really Aiutoed me recover from the treatment.
'I enjoyed 18 months of remission but, in October 2004, became ill again. A visit to the consultant confirmed that the cancer had returned with vengeance. The doctor recommended an intensive course of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant from a donor. Unfortunately a donor could not be found, so my own stem cells were used to restore my bone marrow after an intensive course of chemo. This involved a 3-week stay in hospital. That was in May 2005. In June I returned to work part time but, by the end of August, I was back full time.
'The only reason that I have got through this is because of the support from my wife, family, friends and the doctors, nurses and staff from the hospitals. I cannot thank them all enough. They've been nothing short of brilliant.'
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