Ex-soldier who was ‘days from death’ reveals three warning signs of leukaemia

Jamie Buchanan, 45, suffered from back aches and night sweats before he went to hospital with severe chest pain

Jamie Buchanan, pictured with his wife and twin daughters, recently celebrated six years of remission ( NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde / SWNS)

A former soldier who was just days away from death after being diagnosed with leukaemia has told how he was saved by a bone marrow transplant.

Jamie Buchanan, 45, began having back pain and severe night sweats before he was admitted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with acute chest pain.

Doctors diagnosed him with leukaemia, a type of blood cancer, and told him he had just days to live.

Jamie’s wife was six months pregnant with twins at the time, and he was terrified he wouldn’t see his children grow up.

The cause of the cancer was a faulty gene known as the ‘Philadelphia positive’, which means despite chemotherapy, it would likely come back.

The father-of-two said: “I was in and out of consciousness and was whisked away to the high dependency unit before being moved on to the haematology ward.

“My first thought was, I’ve had a good run but it’s over.

“I was there with my wife who was six months pregnant and we’re both thinking, I won’t get to see my kids.”

Doctors told Jamie his only hope was a lifesaving bone marrow transplant – which they found a match for in Germany through the Antony Nolan Bone Marrow Register.

He was quickly put through gruelling rounds of chemotherapy to prepare for the transplant, which took place at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in 2016.

Jamie, who served for more than 10 years in Northern Ireland and the second Gulf War, recently celebrated being cancer-free for six years.

He is back to full fitness, incorporating a strict regime of running, weights and training, as well as looking after identical twin daughters, Erin and Eva.

(NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde / SWNS)

Jamie has urged others to sign up as a bone marrow donor and said it’s a simple as giving blood.

He said: “I consider every single member of staff as lifesavers and angels.

“I simply would not be here without them.

“I’d encourage anyone to sign up as a bone marrow donor as well.

“It’s such a simple process, and you could help save someone’s life.”

The BMT team is now based out of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Susan Groom, Director for Regional Services, including BMT, said: “We’re proud of the service our BMT team provides at the Beatson, and it’s fantastic to see patients like Jamie make a full recovery after what was an extremely difficult time, both at the point of his diagnosis, through to his operation and recovery.

“Thanks to the selflessness of donors, our teams are able to perform this procedure which in many cases, is life-saving.”