Nurse who missed her own cancer put symptoms down to football and yoga

A Wolverhampton nurse who attributed a suspicious bruise and persistent exhaustion to her football hobby has spoken out about her cancer diagnosis, urging others not to dismiss similar warning signs.

Katie Haywood, now 46, was diagnosed with myeloma in June last year after months of explaining away various symptoms.

"There were a lot of separate little things, but I made excuses for all my symptoms," she said.

The mother-of-two, who balanced her nursing career with teaching yoga and playing football, discovered she had the incurable blood cancer only when her condition had become critical.

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She is now sharing her story during Myeloma Awareness Week. Mrs Haywood recalled noticing a severe bruise on her arm approximately three months before receiving her diagnosis.

"I didn't remember being hit, but I thought someone must have elbowed me at football and I didn't notice," she explained.

The mark appeared as though blood had pooled beneath the skin, yet it remained fresh-looking the following day.

Beyond the unexplained bruising, she experienced considerable fatigue and found herself struggling for breath when climbing stairs at the hospital car park.

"I always found a reason. I was tired, but I was working full-time as a nurse, teaching yoga twice a week, and I was playing football," she said.

A lingering chest infection provided a convenient justification for her breathlessness.

However, the true cause was severe anaemia – a symptom she acknowledged she would have identified immediately in any patient.

When concern finally prompted her to arrange blood tests at work, the results proved so alarming that staff insisted on repeating them within the hour, convinced there had been an error. There had not.

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Mrs Haywood learned she was suffering from end-stage renal failure and was merely days from physical collapse.

"Now I know it's because I was severely anaemic, something I would spot in someone else straightaway," she reflected.

Medical professionals believe the cancer had been developing undetected for between one and two years before her diagnosis.

Mrs Haywood commenced chemotherapy treatment and underwent a stem cell transplant in November 2025.

Twelve months after her diagnosis, she has achieved remission, though her kidney function remains compromised.

The intensive treatment also triggered early menopause, adding further challenges to her recovery.

Myeloma UK notes that despite ranking as the third most prevalent blood cancer, the disease is frequently overlooked due to its vague symptoms, which include back pain, fragile bones, tiredness and repeated infections.

The charity notes that a straightforward blood test can typically detect indicators of the cancer.

It has launched a symptom translator tool to assist patients in communicating effectively with their GPs.

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