ONE day Andi Cavilla was “leaping” around in a fitness class; the next, he was handed a deadly diagnosis.
The dad-of-two was stunned, for he had none of the disease’s hallmark symptoms.
Things only went from bad to worse when he was told his cancer had an 80 per cent mortality rate.
The 55-year-old is now sharing his story to urge others to get checked out, no matter how minor their health niggles might seem.
Andi, from Swindon, was the picture of health as a qualified Les Mills Body Combat fitness instructor.
Although he didn’t teach regularly anymore, he was still participating in classes, as well as going to the gym.
So it was a “complete bolt out of the blue” when doctors told him he had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) on November 7, 2023.
“I was actually leaping around in a fitness class the day before diagnosis,” he tells Sun Health.
“When I look back, I perhaps did feel that I had a little less bounce than I used to have – but I put this down to my age.”
What’s most concerning is that Andi had none of the most common symptoms of AML – a cancer of the white blood cells – which include tiredness, pale skin, shortness of breath, frequent infections, and bruising.
His diagnosis could also have easily been missed. It was only a chance encounter that caught it.
Just a month earlier, Andi’s wife Juliette, the wellbeing manager for WH Smith, was running a seminar online and the topic was cancer screening – particularly how women get called for a number of regular screenings, but men don’t.
“During the seminar there was active encouragement for all middle-aged men to request a PSA blood test for prostate cancer,” he says.
“As my wife was running the talk, she wanted to be able to explain the experience as a man, so I volunteered – rather bravely I thought – to have the test.”
While his prostate cancer test came back negative, it showed a low white blood cell count.
White blood cells are made in bone marrow – the spongy tissue inside some of the larger bones.
Conditions that affect the bone marrow are the usual causes of low white blood cell count, including leukaemia.
Andi says: “My neutrophil count [the most common type of white blood cell] was 0.2 – with normal being somewhere between two and seven.
“They did a repeat test which showed the same, so I was referred to the haematology department at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and given more tests, including a bone marrow biopsy.
“When I was diagnosed with AML it was a complete bolt out of the blue.
“When the consultant dropped the bomb on me and told me there is an 80 per cent mortality rate, I immediately went into fight mode and wanted to know how soon treatment could begin and when it would be finished.”
A simple blood test saved my life
Andi Cavilla
Andi was admitted to Dove Ward and began the first of what would be four rounds of chemotherapy in month-long cycles.
“I was very lucky and my side effects were quite mild compared to some,” he recalls.
“It was more like a pretty bad hangover for a day after each session, with loss of appetite and tiredness.
“I started to lose my hair in December. It was like having a dog in my room with the amount of hair I was finding on the floor and on my bed.”
Doctors said Andi would also need a stem cell transplant, which became a cause for worry as neither of his sisters or anyone on the Anthony Nolan database was a 10/10 match.
“They said they’d carry on with the chemotherapy without a stem cell transplant for the time being,” Andi says.
“I did lots of research on stem cell transplants and knew it could have awful side effects and wasn’t a guaranteed cure anyway, which threw me a bit, leaving me with more questions.
“But I just tried to focus on what was going on and how well I was doing.”
Keeping active became a priority for Andi. He found an old fitness step in his garage that he took to the hospital with him, and chose to do crafts and jigsaw puzzles instead of watching TV.
At the end of the third chemotherapy cycle, two consecutive bone marrow tests revealed he had no signs of cancer.
Andi says: “They named me the ‘most boring patient on the ward’ because everything was going to plan – a title I was proud to keep for the majority of the inpatient treatment.
“I finished my treatment and returned home on April 28, 2024.”
Andi chose to share his story publicly on his Facebook page from the start of his diagnosis and was surprised by the impact it had.
He posted regular updates for friends to see and was touched that so many shared how cancer had affected their, or their loved ones’, lives.
What is Acute Myeloid Leukaemia?
ACUTE myeloid leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system’s white blood cells.
The causes of the disease are not well understood and it usually cannot be prevented. Previous chemotherapy, exposure to radiation or smoking could raise the risk.
It is a rare type of cancer and affects around 3,100 people each year in the UK, and 2,700 people die from it annually.
AML is an aggressive form of cancer and often needs urgent treatment with chemotherapy and possibly a bone marrow transplant.
On average only about a third of patients survive for one year or more after being diagnosed.
Symptoms of the disease include:
- Paleness
- Concerning tiredness or weakness
- Often feeling breathless for no reason
- Getting regular infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unexplained bleeding and/or bruising
Source: NHS
Andi says: “Two friends were diagnosed with other forms of cancer during my treatment.
“We supported each other through the journey and thankfully both, like me, are in remission.
“I also managed to convince most of my male friends to get a PSA prostate check and several of my friends were also inspired to give blood donations for the first time.”
When Andi returned home, he was advised by his doctor that it would be between three and six months before he’d be back in the gym.
But he set up a rowing machine in the garage and returned to the gym in just six weeks.
He says: “I’ve got no proof my fitness helped my recovery, but I believe it did.
“I’m actually now fitter than I’ve ever been as I’ve had so much time to work on it, and I’m now the same size as my 19-year-old son Nico, who’s an MMA cage fighter.”
‘Those little sparks matter’
Andi’s message to others is loud and clear – if something feels off, even slightly, to get yourself checked out.
“A simple blood test saved my life,” he says.
“And if you’re facing a diagnosis, find ways to keep your mind and body active, and don’t be afraid to find humour where you can. You are not alone in this.
“When you first hear the word ‘cancer’ it can feel like the world shrinks to just you and your fear. But you will quickly discover an army around you – family, friends, nurses, doctors, even strangers.
“The mind is a powerful weapon. Feed it with positivity, purpose, and things that keep you moving forward.
“Laugh whenever you can, even if it’s at something as silly as naming your chemo after a good glass of Merlot. Those little sparks matter.
“I am not going to pretend it’s easy, it’s not, far from it, but you can still own the fight.
“Keep putting one foot in front of the other, find joy in the smallest moments, and remember, you are stronger than you think, and you don’t have to face it alone.”
