Paul Angliss, a 62-year-old father-of-one from Stoke Newington, London, initially dismissed agonizing back pain during a family holiday hike up Mount Fuji in Japan as a mere sign of aging. However, a month later, in October 2024, a seemingly innocuous incident—stubbing his toe on a bedroom chair—triggered a 'shockwave' of pain up his spine, culminating in excruciating neck pain and the breaking of his C3 vertebrae. This dramatic event led to a life-altering diagnosis: multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer known for 'eating away at bones'. Doctors, noting the extreme unlikelihood of a stubbed toe causing a broken neck, immediately suspected myeloma.

Mr. Angliss's journey to diagnosis began earlier, with initial bouts of lower back pain in 2022, which he attributed to wear and tear. The pain intensified during his 2024 Japanese adventure, where he struggled to ascend Mount Fuji with his partner Priya and daughter Nancy, even narrowly escaping a lightning strike at the summit. Upon returning home, the fateful toe stubbing left him temporarily paralyzed with spasms. His partner called an ambulance, but paramedics, unaware of the broken neck, administered pain relief and advised a GP visit. Days later, still struggling immensely to move, Mr. Angliss went to A&E, where an MRI confirmed the fractured vertebrae and led to suspicions of blood cancer. A week later, further tests confirmed the myeloma diagnosis, revealing '28 holes in his spine'—a stark indicator of the bone-weakening disease. He considered himself fortunate for the early detection, recognizing that without the break, his condition could have been far worse.

Following his diagnosis, Mr. Angliss was referred to St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where he promptly began weekly chemotherapy injections in November 2024. His rigorous treatment plan progressed to a stem cell transplant in April 2025, initiating the maintenance phase of his cancer battle. He later embarked on a new drug trial on September 15, 2025, despite initial apprehension due to the painful bone marrow biopsies involved. Fortunately, by September 2025, Mr. Angliss received the positive news of being cancer-free, officially confirmed as being in remission following a clear blood panel and bone marrow biopsy on October 13, 2025.

Myeloma, accounting for just 2 percent of all cancer diagnoses in the UK with approximately 6,300 new cases annually, often presents without symptoms in its early stages. Common indicators include persistent bone pain, unexplained broken bones, extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, headaches, excessive thirst, and unexplained weight loss. This cancer affects areas with active bone marrow, such as the spine, skull, and pelvis. In myeloma, abnormal plasma cells, which develop from white blood cells, proliferate excessively in the bone marrow, crowding out normal blood cell production and producing harmful antibodies that lead to various health issues.

While treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted medicines, steroids, and bisphosphonates are available, often followed by a stem cell transplant to generate new, healthy blood plasma cells, myeloma is generally not curable. The primary goal of treatment is to manage the cancer and its symptoms, thereby extending and improving patients' lives. Reflecting on his arduous journey, Mr. Angliss now advocates for greater awareness, urging anyone experiencing unexplained back pain to consult their GP. He emphasized the invaluable lessons learned, stressing the importance of not taking health for granted and appreciating the 'small mercies' of early diagnosis, continued ability to work, and family support. He remains optimistic about future treatment developments in myeloma, noting the exciting progress in the field.