Jurassic Park actor, Sam Neill, has revealed that he wrote an emotional note to his children as he battles stage-three blood cancer.
The 76-year-old, from New Zealand, announced earlier this year that he has angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), a rare cancer affecting the lymphatic system, the body’s disease-fighting network.
The actor revealed in an interview with Australian Story that he started taking a new experimental drug to fight off the disease after chemotherapy failed to work.
Symptoms of AITL can include a fever, night sweats, a rash and autoimmune disorders.
Here, MailOnline reveals six warning signs of several types of blood cancer.
Symptoms of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, can include having a high fever, night sweats, skin rash, and autoimmune disorders
Sam Neill has revealed the emotional letter he wrote to his children as he battles stage-three blood cancer
Tiredness
Feeling tired even after getting enough sleep and rest could be a sign of anaemia.
Caused by a low level of red blood cells — which carry oxygen around the body — anaemia can make you feel tired, breathless and look pale.
Although this can be a sign of food deficiencies, such as not getting enough iron in your diet, Blood Cancer UK warns it is also a warning sign of blood cancer.
To check if you are anaemic, experts suggest pulling down your lower eyelid. If you are anaemic it will look pale pink instead of dark pink or red.
Other symptoms of anaemia include feeling faint and having headaches, according to the charity.
Unexplained rash
Bruises are normally a sign of bleeding under the skin and caused by an injury.
But if they appear for no reason, it could be a sign of something more sinister.
An unexplained bruise can mean you have low platelets, says Blood Cancer UK.
‘They show as darker or a different colour to the skin around them and may feel tender when you touch them’, the charity warns.
This unexplained bruising can also appear as a rash. It may show as small spots in the skin or as larger discoloured patches, says Blood Cancer UK.
These discoloured patches and spots look like a rash but are actually clusters of small bruises.
On black and brown skin, these patches and spots can look purple or darker than the surrounding skin. On lighter skin, it usually shows as red or purple.
But bleeding gums, nose, prolonged bleeding from a cut, heavy periods or blood in your urine or poo, are also warning signs of blood cancer.
Sam also revealed he has been in remission for 12 months thanks to an anti-cancer drug, but admits he is ‘prepared’ for the fact that it will eventually stop working
Unexplained fever
Blood cancer can cause persistent, recurrent and severe infections.
That’s because those with the disease have low levels of white blood cells, which usually fight infection.
A high temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above, even if there is no obvious sign of infection, could also be a sign of the disease, warns Blood Cancer UK.
Flu-like symptoms such as chills, shivering, coughing or having a sore throat are all signs of an infection.
In some cases, people with a type of blood cancer, called lymphoma, experience drenching night sweats. The cause of these night sweats in unclear, the charity says.
Lumps and swellings
Abnormal white blood cells can build up in your lymph glands when you have blood cancer, causing swellings and lumps.
These usually appear in your neck, armpit or groin, according to Blood Cancer UK.
Most are painless, but sometimes they can ache, the charity says.
‘If there are lumps or swellings further inside your body, and they press on organs such as your lungs, this can cause pain, discomfort or breathlessness’, says Blood Cancer UK.
The Jurassic Park star, 76, told Australian Story he started planning to write the letter to his son Tim, daughter Elena and grandchildren after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin blood cancer
Abdominal problems
Pain in your stomach can be another sign of blood cancer.
It is caused by abnormal blood cells building up in the spleen, says Blood Cancer UK.
This can trigger swelling and feelings of fullness after only eating a small amount.
Some people feel discomfort and pain in the abdominal area, as well as bloating.
You may also experience pain under your ribs on the left side, the charity says.
Unexplained weight loss
Losing weight without trying can be a sign of blood cancer.
The spleen can squish the stomach and make sufferers feel full, according to Cancer Research UK. The charity suggests this may make you eat less than usual.
However, some people lose weight even when they are eating normally.
This is called cachexia, where your body doesn’t absorb all the fat, protein and carbohydrate from your food and burns calories faster than normal.
Scientists say cancer releases chemicals into the blood that contribute to the fat and muscle loss.
Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com
