Spot the signs of leukaemia: Midlothian pensioner urges others to be alert after quick thinking saved his life

Former tennis coach Colin Harper put it down to ageing when he began to feel the effects of a long rally, shortly after turning 70 in 2017.

It was only the appearance of a blood spot on his eye that prompted the super-fit pensioner to seek the medical advice that revealed he was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer.

Now 74, and determined to live life to the full, Colin, from Midlothian, is urging fellow Scots to be aware of the symptoms of leukaemia and to consult their GP immediately if they have concerns.

As part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September, he will be backing the #SpotLeukaemia campaign, highlighting the four most common symptoms of the disease as fatigue, bruising, unusual bleeding and repeated infections.

The campaign is a collaboration between leading charities Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia Uk who are working to increase survival rates from blood cancer – the UK’s third deadliest cancer – which is often diagnosed too late.

Colin, who lives in Roslin, said: “I was a tennis coach for many years and still played five times a week. I regarded myself as fit and had a healthy life style; my weight was as it should be, and I didn’t smoke.

"I’d turned 70 in December that year and I must admit I suddenly began to feel the effects of a long rally on the tennis court. I thought, ‘Wow – is this what happens when you reach 70!’.”

He thought nothing more of it until a few weeks later when he woke one morning with what appeared to be a small patch of blood in his eye.

Colin Harper, from Midlothian, wants to alert people to the symptoms of leukaemia following his own diagnosis

He went on: “I then made what turned out to be the wisest decision of my life. I went straight to an optician to be examined. She advised me to get a blood check and the result went straight to my GP – I was dangerously anaemic.

"I was admitted that night to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and spent the next few days getting blood transfusions and undergoing tests. By the end of the week, the diagnosis was confirmed – I had a rare blood cancer called hairy cell leukaemia (HCL).”

After a course of chemotherapy and a period in ‘solitary’ for fear of infection, Colin was eventually told he was in remission.

He was naturally devastated when it was confirmed earlier this year that his “hairy blood cells were beginning to misbehave” and his leukaemia was back.

"It would be easy to panic at this stage. Yes I was disappointed, yes I shed a few tears, but it was time for action – and that meant going through the same treatment as the last time,” said Colin, who now feels fit and well and is back on the tennis court.

Urging others not to avoid seeking medical advice for fear of what they might be told, he added: “The vital thing is to act quickly; don't wait and see. Hairy Cell Leukaemia is incurable, which is scary of course, but it’s highly treatable – in other words, I can live with it.”

For more information on the signs and symptoms of leukaemia visit www.spotleukaemia.org.uk or watch the campaign video on YouTube