New battle for reporter

Advertiser sports reporter Warwick Lane has been diagnosed with a recurrence of the leukemia he fought last year. Here, he reflects on the diagnosis and his battle ahead.

After winning my fight with cancer last year, this was the follow-up story I never wanted to write.

In April 2017, I went to the doctors after feeling run down and lacking energy and, after a blood test, was quickly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Four rounds of chemotherapy followed over the next five months, during which time I also had countless blood transfusions, battled high fevers and fought off pneumonia.

It now appears I will have to fight that battle all over again.

The results of my latest blood tests were initially positive, and I booked in my next check-up for the second week in September.

However, when the doctors looked more closely at my blood under the microscope, they found suspicious cells.

I was called in for a bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday, where the worst possible news — that my cancer had returned — was confirmed.

The diagnosis came completely out of the blue because I was starting to feel stronger and healthier than at any point in my life.

I started running, completing a few 10km races and was building up to bumble through the Newark Half-marathon for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

So far I have raised more than £1,000, and I am so grateful to everyone who has donated for a brilliant cause.

I have been fortunate enough to enjoy so many adventures in the past few months, including a cruise around Spain and France, travels through Scandinavia, and even a few cheeky Tinder dates.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t devastated by the news as I really thought that cancer was a chapter of my life I had put behind me.

I’ve beaten this horrible illness once, and I am determined to do it again.

I love my job at the Advertiser, and I have made so many friends in my quest to produce a sport section I am proud of on a weekly basis.

During my first treatment, I was overwhelmed by the support of my family, friends, and the sporting community as a whole.

To know I have so many people behind me makes what I’m about to go through a lot less daunting.

This could be another long journey, but I know a lot more about the illness now and will be prepared for what lies ahead.

I will be under the care of the best doctors and nurses on Fletcher Ward at Nottingham City Hospital a patient can ask for, and they will give me every possible chance of getting through this.

Even though my world has been turned upside down once again, I will be back.