The cancer was ‘eating away’ at Paul Angliss’ bones
A father has spoken of feeling “lucky” after his incurable blood cancer was caught when a stubbed toe caused his neck to break as the disease was “eating away” at his bones.
Paul Angliss, 62, said he initially wrote off his “really bad back pain” as wear and tear, to the point he “dragged” himself to the top of Mount Fuji in agony while on holiday in August 2024 with his partner of 30 years, Priya Gohil, 52, and their 16-year-old daughter Nancy.
Paul, from Stoke Newington, North London, muddled on with heat packs and pain relief, but in October 2024 he stubbed his toe on a chair in his bedroom which sent a “shockwave” up his spine and caused the C3 vertebra in his neck to break.
After attending A&E, Paul, who works on financial reports, was informed his condition was “really unusual” and he was diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the bones, which he described as a “real bomb”.
Paul, also an author writing a comedy fiction novel, quickly started chemotherapy treatment – and as of October 13 this year, he is in remission, his back pain has improved and he is sharing his story to raise awareness of the disease.
“Myeloma weakens your bones – you wouldn’t know you have it unless you do something like break a bone,” Paul told PA Real Life.
“They found something like 28 holes in my spine, so I was lucky that the myeloma was found early on.
“You’re not making as much bone as you are losing it and if I hadn’t had the break, things could have been much worse.
“You can end up with a collapsed spine because the myeloma eats away at your bones.”
Myeloma, often referred to as multiple myeloma, is a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and it can cause a wide range of symptoms, according to Blood Cancer UK.
The charity says myeloma affects around 6,300 people in the UK each year and while there is currently no cure, treatment helps to control the disease and extend life.
In May last year, Paul was suffering with “really bad back pain” in his lower back, which he put down to wear and tear.
Two years prior, he said he experienced a similar pain and thought it had simply reoccurred.
In August 2024, Paul and his family went on holiday to Japan – where he “dragged” himself up Mount Fuji on a hike.
There, he and his family narrowly avoided being struck by lightning.
“I kept telling Priya and Nancy to go ahead, you know being heroic, but all the energy from my legs just went every 10 steps,” he recalled.
“I’d sort of get my energy back and I stubbornly got to the top.”
Paul recalled seeing storm clouds rolling in when he reached the top, and frighteningly, he said Priya’s hair started to stand on end.
“I was talking to Nancy and Priya, facing them, and this bolt of lightning came around behind them, like a beast,” he said.
“It stopped, as if it was a real, living being just behind them.
“We were speechless, and we quickly made our way back down.”
Paul said he spent the rest of the trip with heat patches strapped to his back.
Then, in October 2024, Paul was in his bedroom when he stubbed his toe on a chair.
“This shockwave went up my spine and I was paralysed, I had spasms in both sides of my neck,” he said.
Unknown to Paul, the jolt from stubbing his toe ricocheted up his back and caused the C3 vertebra in his neck to break.
He said Priya called an ambulance, where the paramedics, not realising Paul’s neck was broken, ran a few checks, suggested he attend his GP and gave him pain relief medication.
Paul said it took him “two-and-a-half hours” to lie down from standing because he still did not know his neck was broken – prompting him to visit A&E a few days later.
After having a series of tests, including an MRI, Paul said his neck was put into a brace and his doctor informed him his condition was “really unusual”.
“They told me they think I could have myeloma because it’s really unusual for someone to stub their toe and break their neck – that was a real bomb,” Paul recalled.
A week later, Paul had further blood tests to confirm the diagnosis, which he felt “prepared” to receive.
Paul was referred to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, and he said he was “grateful” as his situation was escalated “very quickly”.
He started receiving weekly chemotherapy injections into his stomach in November 2024 for four months.
He was then given a stem cell transplant on April 10 this year, which left him temporarily fatigued and “a bit ill”.
Paul then entered the maintenance phase of his cancer journey where he was monitored, before he was asked if he wanted to enter a new drug trial, which he started on September 15.
“I was apprehensive about it as it involved having a bone marrow biopsy, which I’d had before and it’s really painful,” Paul said.
Thankfully, Paul said it was not as painful the second time around, and he said he sought “useful” information from a Macmillan Cancer Support forum before putting himself forward for the trial.
In September this year, Paul was informed there were no cancer cells in his blood, and following a bone marrow biopsy, he was given the news on October 13 that he is now in remission.
“My oncologist is very positive and there’s lots of alternative treatment drugs I can start if the current ones start to lose their efficacy,” he said.
“Some people go into remission for years, and it’s an exciting time for myeloma in terms of the treatments which are being developed.”
Paul is now backing Blood Cancer UK’s call for greater awareness around the disease.
He also credited Maggie’s, a charity providing care and support for those impacted by cancer, as a great resource.
“If you’re getting bad back pain and you can’t put it down to pulling or twisting it, I would go and see your GP,” he said.
“You learn a few lessons about yourself with something like this – you don’t take your health for granted, you check in with yourself.
“I had a lot of small mercies, such as still being able to work, having my family around me and being diagnosed early – some people don’t have that.”
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