Recognising leukaemia

A Leeds-based optometrist has highlighted the Spot Leukaemia awareness campaign after being diagnosed with the disease herself in 2019.

‘I would like to raise awareness of the vague and often missed symptoms of leukaemia,’ explained Janine Black. ‘As an optometrist, one of the most rewarding, but sometimes upsetting, aspects of the job is identifying systemic pathology. Last Autumn, I had my own medical emergency.’

Black first noticed a shortness of breath while on holiday with her daughter, before she developed a dry cough and mild flu-like symptoms. Following a number of appointments with GPs Black’s shortness of breath worsened and she began to experience weight loss. She was booked in for a blood test but prior to receiving the results, she developed a large black arcuate floater in her right eye and asked another optometrist at her practice to examine her to rule out a retinal tear.