'I was told symptoms were menopause before five-year bombshell'

'I was told symptoms were menopause before five-year bombshell' Sarah Chapman, 67, was an active woman who loved playing hockey - but she started to feel unusually tired and suffered from various illnesses A woman's alarming symptoms were dismissed as the menopause by doctors – until it emerged she could have just five years to live. Sarah Chapman once led a remarkably active lifestyle, including being a keen hockey player. Then, out of nowhere, she began feeling unusually exhausted. Soon after, Sarah started falling ill on a regular basis with various ailments, such as chest infections, and any wounds she sustained took considerably longer to heal. Despite being referred to numerous specialists, Sarah claims all of them attributed her symptoms to the ageing process and the menopause. Sarah, who had a gut feeling something far more serious was going on, was subsequently diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which had developed into leukaemia. "I knew what I was capable of, and how active I was, and I felt deep down something was wrong," the former NHS audiologist, from Kent, told creatorzine. com. "I was worried and didn't like it hanging over me. "However, I was relieved that I had finally been vindicated in knowing my body well enough to keep insisting something was wrong." Sarah, now 67, recalls her symptoms first emerging in 2011. She had been a regular blood donor, maintained a healthy diet and took iron supplements. But it made little difference; before long, her haemoglobin levels dropped too low for her donations to be accepted. The debilitating illnesses then took their grip, accompanied by night sweats and deteriorating skin. During a walking holiday with her husband, Mike, she found herself unable to manage more than a few steps. It was an immediate cause for concern. In 2013, following numerous visits to her GP, she finally received her diagnosis after an abnormality was flagged in a routine blood test. She said: "I was told this would become leukaemia within the next three to five years. I had to have regular blood tests and bone marrow biopsies. "I kept working, continued to umpire hockey and kept up with all my other sports activities. But, of course, it was always in the back of my mind. Every new symptom would make me wonder if this was 'it'." In June 2016, Sarah received the devastating news she had long feared: she had developed acute myeloid leukaemia – a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer. Each year, almost 3,100 people in the UK receive this diagnosis, with nearly 80% of patients unlikely to survive beyond five years, according to charity Leukaemia UK. She endured three gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, spending much of that time in isolation. Despite her weakened state, Sarah remained determined to stay fit and active throughout. Following her final round of treatment, she was given the all-clear and entered remission. A stem cell transplant from her brother, Colin, offered her the best possible chance of remaining cancer-free. Today, Sarah has returned to the hockey pitch and is embracing her retirement years to the fullest, competing at events and relishing every moment. She added: "Hockey has been a huge part of my life and a huge factor in who I am. To have all this to return to, and to have done so much since my leukaemia, makes me so grateful." Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK, said: "We're so grateful to Sarah for sharing her story to help raise awareness of leukaemia. Most of the signs and symptoms are not specific, so can often get mistaken for other illnesses or be explained away. "Early diagnosis saves lives. That is why we encourage anyone with symptoms to make sure it's nothing serious by speaking to their GP and asking for a full blood count test."