Man Overcomes Myeloma Battle, Praises Exceptional Care Team

Matthew Padley, a 60-year-old electrical draughtsman from Greater Manchester, has shared his challenging journey with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that has significantly impacted his life. By the time he received his diagnosis in May 2023, Matthew had already lost two inches in height due to the disease’s damaging effects on his spine.

The ordeal began in September 2022 when Matthew started experiencing back spasms. Initially treating the pain with over-the-counter medications like paracetamol and ibuprofen, he did not seek further medical advice until January 2023. At that point, he was informed that the damage to his back was likely due to early onset osteoporosis. Despite this diagnosis, it wasn’t until several months later that doctors identified myeloma, which affects over 33,000 individuals in the UK annually.

“It came as a shock,” Matthew told the Manchester Evening News. “To be told it’s incurable is hard. I have lost two inches in height because of the damage.”

Diagnosis and Treatment Journey

Matthew’s path to diagnosis was fraught with complications. After booking an appointment with a physiotherapist, he was referred for an X-ray. The results revealed a severely damaged spine, leading the radiologist to question whether he had suffered a fall. Matthew recalled a specific incident from 2020 when he was thrown from his seat on a bus in Australia, which he speculated might have contributed to his condition.

According to Myeloma UK, myeloma constitutes about 15 percent of blood cancers and approximately 2 percent of all cancers. The charity notes that around half of patients wait more than five months for an accurate diagnosis, as symptoms are often mistaken for minor ailments or attributed to aging.

Following his diagnosis, Matthew began chemotherapy and subsequently underwent a stem cell transplant. The side effects were severe, leaving him hospitalized multiple times for infections. “Mentally, it puts a strain on you,” he explained. “It’s been really hard on my wife, Diane, and my family. People forget how much it affects the people around you.”

Despite ongoing challenges, including fatigue and irreversible damage to his back, Matthew is now in remission. He emphasized the importance of a positive outlook, marking March 12, 2024, as his official remission date. “You can’t just ignore myeloma sadly, but you can put it at the back of your mind,” he stated.

Acknowledgment of Exceptional Care

Matthew has expressed profound gratitude for the support he received at the Christie Cancer Centre at Tameside Hospital, which has recently been recognized with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme Award. This distinction highlights the centre’s commitment to providing exceptional care for patients living with myeloma, a disease that claims around 3,000 lives in the UK each year.

“The Christie at Tameside Hospital are truly deserving of this award,” Matthew remarked. “The nursing staff and doctors are faultless—they just give you that level of reassurance. Knowing that you’ve got a team with you really helps. What they do means a heck of a lot to people like me.”

Rhys Owens, Senior Clinical Practice Officer at Myeloma UK, underscored the importance of a supportive medical team. “Myeloma is a challenging cancer which keeps coming back and can be difficult to cope with both physically and mentally,” he noted. “It’s very clear that staff at the Christie Cancer Centre go the extra mile every day to help patients navigate treatment and the reality of living with an incurable cancer.”

Now, Matthew is determined to embrace life fully. After taking a leave of absence during treatment, he has returned to volunteer work, including his role as a Scout Leader for over 30 years. “It felt like our wings were clipped in 2023, but now, as a couple, we can plan holidays again and go where we want when we want,” he said. “You can’t let myeloma define you.”

With a strong support network and a renewed perspective on life, Matthew Padley continues to inspire others facing similar battles while emphasizing the critical importance of early diagnosis and comprehensive care.