A British SAS veteran developed a mystery illness that left him unable to lift his shoulder after having his wisdom teeth removed, only to discover he had a serious form of cancer.
Bob Perry, 70, from Poole, Dorset, served in the army and later worked as a detective in the police force before retiring in 2011 when he suddenly became unwell.
The veteran said the unexplained illness left him unable to lift his shoulder and carry out everyday tasks such as putting on a jacket, washing his hair or holding a cup of coffee.
His symptoms included fatigue, slurred speech, limb loss, muscle spasms and night sweats, leading doctors to misdiagnose him with a rare condition called Stiff Man Syndrome.
But in October 2015, after bleeding during the removal of his wisdom teeth, blood tests revealed he had Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare blood cancer, and doctors gave him just 10 years to live.
Mr Perry began chemotherapy soon after his diagnosis and nine years after completing treatment he is preparing for the Club des Cingles bike ride in the hope of raising £10,000 for the hospital that treated him.
The 27-year-old veteran will travel with the SAS to countries including Canada, Kenya, Oman and Belize, climbing Mount Ventoux in southern France three times in the challenge.
“I was in the SAS from 27 to 30 and you convince yourself you’re one of only 200 people who are going to save the planet and you’re so excited about it all,” he said.
“Then all of a sudden you’re irrelevant and then all of a sudden you’re irrelevant because you’ve got a chronic or lifelong illness.
Recalling how the unexplained illness affected his daily life, he said: “It brought me down emotionally and I went into a really dark place. ”
But chemotherapy, which he underwent between October 2015 and April 2016, has relieved Bob’s symptoms, allowing him to move his shoulder again and he no longer feels tired or has muscle cramps, itching or night sweats.
“I don’t have twitches or spasms. I’ve had movement in my shoulder and it’s been fine ever since,” he said. “It’s like a miracle, but I don’t believe in miracles. It’s incredible.”
Since completing chemotherapy nine years ago, Bob has not taken any cancer medication and has been on active monitoring, which means he has regular blood tests and sees a consultant every three months.
On April 10, the veteran was given a cure but only six months to live, marking the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis.
“I wanted to find something different to celebrate – first of all I’m 70 and still alive, and secondly I was told I only had 10 years to live and celebrate this year,” Bob said.
“Even though there is no cure yet, the future is bright – there are treatments and you can enjoy a good quality of life.
“I just love fitness and that’s what keeps me going.”
“For some people the treatment doesn’t work, for some it’s only partly effective and for some it only lasts two years,” he added.
“But the good thing about this particular disease is that there are new innovative drugs coming out that are not designed to cure it but to act as an alternative treatment.”
After completing chemotherapy, the veteran took up cycling and is set to cycle from London to Paris in 2023 to raise money for WMUK, but this August he plans to take on the daunting challenge of Mont Ventoux.
He hopes to raise £10,000 for Dorset University Hospital NHS Charity on the journey, which will see him travel 85 miles and climb 2.8 miles in a day.
Half of the total raised will be donated to the Quiet Room in the Jigsaw Building at Bournemouth Hospital, and the other half will go to support cardiac services at Dorset University Hospital.
Mr Perry hopes to complete the ride two weeks before his 71st birthday, which falls on August 27 or 28. He will be helped by two bike shop staff he met while arranging charity rides for veterans, Mark Wratten and Andrew Woods of Trek Bicycle Poole.
The veteran has also done a lot of charity work since his illness, such as volunteering for UMUK and sitting on the board of the IWMF (International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation)
He also co-runs a veterans’ charity called the Bournemouth Beyond Trust.
Mr Perry has other cycling-related fundraising plans, including hosting pub quiz nights on his bike and riding for three hours on rollers at the reception of Poole Hospital and Bournemouth Royal Infirmary.
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