WITH a new puppy and a night-shift job, Hannah Coggles put her constant exhaustion down to her hectic routine.
When her symptoms worsened, the then-26-year-old soon thought she might be pregnant, but repeated tests confirmed this wasn’t the case so she brushed her concerns aside.
Even when some unexplained bruising appeared, Hannah didn’t think too much of it. She was otherwise healthy after all.
It wasn’t until she nearly collapsed at work that she thought something more serious might be at play.
Hannah, from Swaffham, Norfolk, tells Sun Health: “In October 2020, I was deeply fatigued almost all the time.
“My husband George and I had recently got a fox red Labrador called Noodle, just before we got married, and it was exhausting.
“I almost passed out a couple of times – once at home, once at work.
“At one point I did think that maybe I was pregnant, but the tests were showing negative.
“I then got bruises on my arms and legs. They weren’t necessarily big ones, but they were taking an incredibly long time to heal, and my other symptoms weren’t improving.”
That finally prompted her to book a GP appointment.
Due to Covid restrictions at the time, this was over the phone – but thankfully, the doctor listened.
Believing she might be anaemic, Hannah was referred for a blood test and the very next day she got a call from a nurse on the Macmillan Ward.
“She told me to bring an overnight bag. I knew something wasn’t right,” she recalls.
In January 2021, Hannah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) – a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
There are around 760 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK.
“I couldn’t process anything the consultant was saying,” Hannah says. “It was too much for my brain to process in the moment.
“I just remember calling my loved ones. There were so many tears, a lot of crying between me and my husband.”
But there was no time to pause. She was admitted to the ward immediately, with treatment set to begin within days.
The pandemic meant she faced much of it alone in hospital, but FaceTime, phone calls, and quizzes with family and friends helped keep her grounded.
Hannah was moved from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, where she was able to see friends and family through a window, to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where she was in a top floor ward, with no visitors permitted.
The gravity of the situation hit me hard and fast. I remember having a little breakdown the day I was due to go in to start my stem cell transplant treatment
Hannah Coggles
“My support system was incredible,” Hannah, a housewife and karate instructor, says.
“My parents made long journeys just to drop off food and essentials, my husband brought clean clothes, and the nurses were amazing too. It was the little things that kept me going.”
Hannah underwent IV and oral chemotherapy, countless blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, and intrathecal procedures.
When targeted therapy failed, she had her ovary removed in the hope of preserving fertility.
Then came high-dose chemo and radiotherapy to prepare her for a stem cell transplant from her sister Olivia in November 2021.
Physically, treatment left her weak and drained.
“I lost weight and couldn’t tolerate the taste of onion or garlic, things I used to love,” she says.
“As a result, I lost a lot of weight and was very unwell.”
Mentally, she held it together, until just before the transplant.
“The gravity of the situation hit me hard and fast,” Hannah says.
“I remember having a little breakdown the day I was due to go in to start my stem cell transplant treatment.
“But luckily I managed to stay as positive as I possibly could and faced every challenge head on.”
Warning signs of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
ACUTE lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
It starts from white blood cells called lymphocytes and usually develops quickly over days or weeks.
Around 790 people are diagnosed with ALL every year in the UK.
But cases of leukaemia generally are rising. Since the early 1990s, incidence rates have increased by around 15 per cent in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK.
There is a similar trend in the United States, particularly in teenagers. A report by the American Cancer Society estimated there will be 66,890 new leukaemia cases and 23,540 deaths in 2025.
Dr Keith Pratz, MD, director of the Leukemia Program at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, told Blood Cancers Today: “Incidence rates of leukaemia are rising in adults based on SEER data going back as far as 1975.
“Many believe these are changes due to children and young adults living longer over that period, with death from other causes going down.
“There is a small but meaningful increase in younger adults with leukaemia, and we need improved reporting of risks found in these young adults to improve our understanding of this issue.”
The most common symptoms of leukaemia include:
- Feeling weak or tired
- Shortness of breath
- Pale skin
- A high temperature or fever
- Picking up or not being able to shake off infections easily
- Bruising and bleeding easily
- Swelling of your lymph nodes
- Pain in your bones or joints
- Feeling full or pain in your tummy
- Weight loss
Most people with these symptoms don’t have leukaemia, but it’s important to get them checked by your GP.
Some people also experience no symptoms at all, or very minor ones which are easily brushed aside.
Source: Cancer Research UK
Even small victories mattered.
“I did laps around my bed and practiced karate. I had to keep moving,” she adds.
Her time in hospital meant she didn’t get to see much of little Noodle, but she was always “so excited” to see her when she did.
“Watching her grow via pictures was sad as I missed out on a lot of the puppy stage,” Hannah adds.
Thankfully, the treatment worked and Hannah, 31, is now in remission and back home. But her journey continues.
She has routine check-ups, will continue to take daily antibiotics for the rest of her life to protect her spleen, and is on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), usually taken during the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, as treatment has left her infertile.
Despite continued difficulties, her perspective on life has shifted completely.
‘Remission doesn’t mean the ordeal is magically over’
“I’ve made a lot of progress physically,” Hannah, who now also has a goldador dog called Queso, says.
“My muscles and joints aren’t what they used to be, and the fatigue is still there. But I’m alive, and I’m grateful.
“I say ‘yes’ more. I don’t let people take me for granted.
“The little problems don’t matter so much now and I’ve found peace in my own company.”
She stays strong in mind and body through regular gym workouts, karate practice, and dog walks – as well as staying close to her family and friends.
For anyone newly diagnosed, Hannah’s advice is simple and powerful.
“Stay positive,” she says. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, even though it may feel like the world is crashing down.
“Some people may not be there for you that you thought would, and that’s OK. Not everyone knows the right words to say – just know that it’s nothing you have done.
“Get up and move, even if you’re tired. And drink water – lots of water – I can’t stress that enough!”
And she has a message she wants the world to hear.
“Remission isn’t the end,” Hannah says. “It doesn’t magically mean the ordeal is over.
“A lot of us still live with the effects of what we have experienced.
“Be patient with us. And please, learn the signs.”
‘A powerful reminder’
Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer. There are many different types, but collectively it affects around 10,300 people every year in the UK.
Common symptoms include:
- Feeling weak or tired
- A high temperature or fever
- Bruising and bleeding easily
- Picking up or not being able to shake off infections easily
- Weight loss
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling of your lymph nodes
- Feeling full in your tummy
Colin Dyer, CEO at Leukaemia Care, says: “Hannah’s story is a powerful reminder of how vital it is to spot the signs of leukaemia early.
“Fatigue, bruising, and persistent illness are often dismissed but they can be symptoms of something far more serious.
“Every day in the UK, 28 people are diagnosed with leukaemia, and early diagnosis can make all the difference.
“Through the #SpotLeukaemia campaign, with support from JCDecaux Community Channel, we want to ensure that everyone knows what symptoms to look out for and what to do if they are worried about a possible leukaemia diagnosis.
“The sooner someone is diagnosed, the better their treatment outcome. Early diagnosis saves lives.”
Fiona Hazell, CEO of Leukaemia UK, adds: “Unlike solid tumours, leukaemia can usually be diagnosed by a simple full blood count test.
“Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms of leukaemia until they or someone they know is diagnosed, which can lead to dangerous delays.
“Early diagnosis saves lives, so we want to make sure more people are aware of the signs and symptoms and know to contact their GP to ask for a blood test if they’re experiencing them, just like Hannah did.
“Together, we can stop leukaemia from devastating so many lives.”
