Adrian Sudbury was a reporter for both the Huddersfield Express and Chronicle Series and the Huddersfield Examiner. In November 2006 the 25-year-old was promoted to digital journalist, effectively editing the new-look Examiner website.
Just two days into his new role he became seriously ill and called in sick. A week later he drove himself to A&E and was eventually diagnosed with leukaemia.
It was then identified that he actually had two distinct types of the disease running at the same time. According to the medical literature he was the only person in the world to have this condition. As such, it was not possible to offer Adrian a prognosis.
Here he shared his experiences of the disease and his treatment up until his passing.Hello everyone. There's been good news as you know, and unfortunately bad news too. It's been a difficult couple of weeks as you will have gathered from my previous post. I was also yesterday diagnosed with a case of chronic graft versus host disease so have been feeling less than 100% for a little while - just as it looked like I was getting back on my feet. Well, at least it gives me something else to bore you with at a future date!
I really wanted to take this opportunity to reply to some of the fabulous comments I have received regarding being given the all clear. I don't get chance to go online everyday but again the level of support has been incredible so here we go.
Mohammed - thanks for getting in touch and for your kind words. I'm really sorry to hear about your niece. Her treatment will be hard but I have found the love and support and family and friends is invaluable. It will be difficult but lots of people, all around the world, do make full recoveries every day from this dreadful disease. Every different type of leukaemia is different, as is its treatment. If I can help you, your niece and your family in anyway, please drop me another comment and I will email you back.
Best wishes.
Hi Liz - Love your comments. It's really good just to be able to think about normal things, like footie, and England playing well definitely gave me a boost. I was in isolation when Forest got dumped out of the play-offs by Yeovil. I was at one of my lowest points so thanks a lot for that lads!
Annie - Thanks again for your support. I hope you liked the comment I posted on your site. Sincere best wishes to you and Steven. Great stuff that Glivec!
Pat and all at Press Gazette - Cheers for the interest and following the story. I always joke with the lads at work that a negative outcome would have probably made for a better tale but you can't have everything!
Hi Julie G. Thanks for being such a good friend and delighted to hear your good news too.
Susan Leigh - It does feel good having that bloody line out and when your time comes I PROMISE it doesn't hurt! Really good luck with your transplant. There are so many success stories out there and it can be a fantastic cure for leukaemia. If you would ever like to get in touch feel free to post another comment and I can get hold of your email and reply to you personally. Best wishes.
Nicole Martin - Hi Nicole. Delighted that you have been given the all clear. It must have been incredibly difficult going through treatment like this with a young child as well. Many thanks for getting in touch. Where in Sheffield do you live?
Hi Jacquie - Really sorry to hear about your son's close friend losing his fight against cancer. It's s such a difficult time and I know from experience that words don't really make it any easier so I won't ramble on. On a lighter note I was in Leeds last week and virtually bumped into Katherine Tate as she attended the premiere of her latest film at the Vue cinema. Small world eh? I resisted the urge to go up to her and irritate her with any of her catchphrases.
Alison- Thanks for your kind words Alison. I know how much they have helped me and my family.
Samantha - Thanks so much for getting in touch.
Andy, Anne, Tom and Harry - Thank you for all your comments and supporting my family in the way you have. Auntie Mary has also written to me and I will get back to her in the coming days. It's great to hear from you all and I hope life is treating you all well.
Thanks Jon - All the best to you too.
Laura Oakley - How go is it? Bloody lovely to hear from you. I hope you are pleased that your token northern friend is hopefully on the mend. My mates in Huddersfield always laugh at me when I tell them that in Essex (where we did our journalism course together) people thought I sounded really northern. You've not heard anything yet. As my good friend Jacko once remarked I'm like little Lord Fontelroy up here.When I get back on my feet will be heading down to London- would be great if you and any other Harlow members could be there. Still in touch with Will, Ash (recently wed) and Lucy Twitchin.
Laura Garbas: Hi Laura. Your kind words are really appreciated. So sorry to hear about your cousin. Leukaemia truly is such a cruel and indiscriminate disease. Determined to make the best of the opportunity I have been given. Please pass on my regards to all those at the NCTJ - and if you know Lisa, Sara and Ken, please say hello.
Rob Irvine - Thanks Rob. I saw that you gave over one of your posts to promote my blog. Much appreciated and thanks so much for your interest.
Rob - Cheers dude. What are you up to these days?
Danny Holland and Craig Graney - Not seen you lads for a while but thanks so much for your support and interest. I hope everything in Pinxton/Normo is going ok. Maybe one day I will be fit enough to re-visit Ches or Le Mansfield for a night out. Ben says you are still playing 5aside too. Would be excellent one day to get fit again, have a kick around, then sup a lager shandy in the Miners. Take it easy and peace out.
Lynda Lawrence - I hope TV captured the real me; the cold, relentless hack that you at Residents Against Windturbines know only too well. It would be really good to get back to work and start reporting on some of these important local issues again. Best wishes to you, your family (I think I met your husband and daughter once) and all those campaigning for their local area.
Liz Boffey - I think your description of this disease as "awful" really sums it up. I'm sorry about your bad news, it must have been devastating to lose Will at just 22. It's only people like you who have any idea what a nightmare leukaemia is for the sufferer and those closest to them. For you to have supported me in this way, in such a positive and encouraging fashion, can only inspire me to make the most of the tremendous opportunity it looks like I have been given. All my thoughts and best wishes.
Hi Dawn - Thanks for all your comments over the last couple of months. Hope you like the comment I have recently posted on Rebecca's site. Sounds like things are looking up for her and your family. Thinking about you.
Natalie Willacy- Thank you so much for taking time to comment on my site. There has been so much support especially from people like yourself who know what fighting cancer is really like. You are so right, the support of friends and family is a huge help. I wish your mum all the best for her treatment but I imagine you are giving her some tremendous support, which is all you can do. I really hope your mum and family get some good news soon. ADx
Dear Jan and Paula - I could never forget you! You truly were the stars of the Total Body Irradiation video (number 4) and I've been told you did a wonderful job. That's one of the videos I still find too difficult to watch but everyone who's seen it said you were both excellent. When I get over this last hurdle I will come in and see you. Once again you both helped make one of the most difficult times in my life much more bearable so thanks once more. See you soon
Cheers Ben.
Local- Hi, sorry I don't know your name. My plans now are to get my strength back and start exercising again. That is why this latest news of the chronic graft versus host disease has been such a smack in the teeth. It sounds a bit pathetic but I'd just like to get back to normal life, including work!
Mark Leighton- Hello! Great to hear from you again. When I'm better would be great to see you again. Where are you living now and how is medicine treating you (no pun)? Anymore outings as the Incrdible Hulk/robot dancing?
Brigitte Balestra- Merci Brigitte, vous etes tres gentile!
Hi Adrian, thank you so much for your post on Becky`s caringbridge site. Hope that you will soon begin to feel better again and get back to work. You will never bore us with your stories as they are so honest and from the heart. All the best to you and your family. Love Dawn xxx
Hi Adrian
THANK YOU so much for the personal comments - it`s great to hear from you. A pain about the GVH but there you go - in some ways it`s a good thing to have a bit of GVH disease as it might encourage GVL as well which is good.
Thanks for your comments of our Will - you are an inspiration and you need not have responded to my news, but you did and I thank you for it.It may interest you to know that a group of Will`s friends ran the Great North Run last Sunday in Will`s memory whilst fund raising for Leukaemia Research. They set up a web site at www.justgiving.com/WillBoffey as a way of getting the money in!
England have still got a lot to do to qualify!Crewe Alex are in desperate need of strikers!!Any offers!!!!
Best Wishes to you, Adrian & all your family xxx
Hi Adrian,
Wish you have a quick recovery soon!
I'm not trying to sell you anything but i believe we are living in the dark age of medical history. Most importantly, try to be happy always! Emotion does affect one health in a way or so..
You might want to check out this TCM site,
http://www.hantang.com/
Those folks lives in the US which I think should not be so far from your place. Perhaps, you might want to see if they can help you? Give yourself a break too ! :)
Hope it helps ..
cheers
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for that - will check it out.
Best wishes,
Adrian
Tend to be seen sporting a fluffy yellow chicken suit these days
such an inspiring blog, your thoughts and comments have made me realise how lucky i am and i will never again moan about everyday things again!! well, maybe i might but i will certainly give myself a kick up the back side for doing so
with lots and lots of love
oh, ive just been on the anthony nolan site as ive been thinking of becoming a donor for sometime, you have just helped me to make up my mind and i will becoming a donor asap. good luck with awards we are telling everyone in lpool to vote x x
Hi Adrian
I have been following your story I aiso have CML and had a Bonemorrow Transplant in Sheffield in 1999 I am now on Gilvec which I have been on for just over 6 years. GVH is not nice but however good to a certain degree for recovery. I also had a different type of cancer also but not blood related. I wish you luck its not easy at first but do all the medics tell you and keep smiling and like me you will go far. I lead a graet normal life now with some hospital late effect appointments but I expect you are visiting nearly daily like I was.
You have made me feel I want to help again do something to help P3 ward which became a type of second family to us so I am putting on an event in Sheffield a Fancy Dress fun night for funds for our bubble rooms to make a difference to others who have transplants like us. It would be great if you are well enough to attend with your frends if you could there will be other BMT guys and girls there also that I have met along the way.
I read my diary I wrote sometimes I wrote it to remember the day and dates and my note book as charts in it to ensure I mouthwashed ect each hour and for some reason 5th of Nov I put I felt fantastic but by 6th of Nov. I felt low and some of those dark days I now can not remember but like you I am sure I love life fill up my days ,weeks and months never say no no to doing things and enjoy life to the full.
Please get in touch would love to met you
Very interesting... as always! Cheers from -Switzerland-.
Hey there,
Just saw ur story in the Daily Mail. I think ur blog name is fab. Ur honesty is really inspiring to others with ur condition, i have had personal experience. I'm also on the list to become a donor so hopefully i will b a match to someone.
How r u........ silly quest but hey im a blonde northern irish girl so forgive me ha ha ha. U said that u aint been 100%. So what u going to do with urself now uve been given the all clear?????
god sori throwing about a dozen quests at ya, typical.
Just watched the Man u match, my mates r all liverpool supporters so u can guess the reaction in my house, yes u guessed it they r not happy bunnies, i really dont understand y fellas get so aggressive watching footie, its not like the result will greatly affect them, being a male urself amyb u cud ans this for me.
hope to hear from u soon... if u wana get asked anymore silly quest uve got the email address and il b happy to accommodate.
Hi Adrian,
I work for BBC World Service radio - the World Have Your Say global discussion programme - and today we're talking about an 11-yr-old boy in Canada whose doctors won't let him stop chemo. We heard you on Victoria's programme this morning and we're hoping that you would feel up to joining our discussion at around 6pm this evening.
I will try to call again but if you see this first please give me a shout on 0208 576 1720.
It would be really good to talk to you.
Best,
Peter
Hi Adrian..
What an inspiration you are. You are an amazing person and I wish that other people in the world had your tenacity and strength to carry on the way you are.
I am one of the few that give bone marrow and I can honestly say that it is the best thing I did. I wish I could give more.
I wish all the best and hope that you manage to do all the things you want to do before your departure from this world.
Keep that lovely smile going and thank you for sharing your time with us.
Hi, I am writing on behalf of my mother (because she doesn't know how to work a computer) but she was just wondering if you where any relation, she was reading the article in the Liverpool Echo and she seen the name Sudbury and she said that she didnt know any other Sudbury's in Liverpool and just wondering if you where realition to Molly Murray (Sudbury) or Tommy, Lawrence or Jimmy Sudbury. You are are strong man and I wish there was more in the world like you good luck in everything you hope to achieve.
Hi Adrian,
I am from St. Louis, MO, USA, and was searching the internet, and stumbled upon your blog. You are a very strong and intelligent man, from what I can gather. Good luck with your treatments, and may only good things come to you from now on.
Thinking about you from the states,
Aly Ricci