12 hours makes a huge difference.

might as well start from begining.







Our friend Paul grabbed me on the way out the door, asked me "Is Darren ok, he looks like his lost a lot of weight"! Well this was the 6th comment in as many weeks and my reply was always the same. He had not lost weight. I know he hadnt as he had weighed himself after so many comments. I looked at Darren as a i got in the car, did he look slimmer? I noticed his face looked slightly glaunt and his arms maybe a bit smaller. Maybe it was the bowel problems he'd had recently. When I told Darren what Paul had said his reply was "I havent, im sick of this, Im going to get fat just to show them"! my reply was "yes dear but I am making you a doctors appointment next week, best be safe".



Darren then spent the next week, googling all sorts, taking though what we thought it could be. Couldn't be bowel C, he wasnt having blood. Maybe a food reaction.







Roll forward to Saturday, after waiting for GP, finally saw him. He said he thought Darren had a wheat allergy, something like celeaic disease maybe. Do a blood test and stool sample, we'll go from there. Phew we thought, that we can handle.

WEDNESDAY 11am

Darren made an appointment for blood tests to be done today. He seemed in a good mood but did moan about the butcher of a nurse that took his blood.



Fast forward to evening 9.30pm, watching Grand designs when the phone goes. I answer as Darren moans the phones always for me anyways. "Is Mr Darren Dutton there please", ok odd "whos calling please" "Dr R from Herts urgent care". I felt my heart sink into my shoes.



I hand the phone to Darren, loads of questions asked and answered. When Darren comes off the phone he tells me that he has to make an appointment to see GP in the morning as his white cells are very high, according to his test. He asks me to google it! I read him pieces about, allergies, infection and leave the C word out of it as long as possible. I suggest we go off to bed to watch TV. Phone rings again at 10pm. We joke its the doctor again. As soon as Darren answers his face drops. I ask if its the Doctor again and he nodds. I hear him saying "I feel fine, better than most days to be honest, ok, ok, if he thinks its a good idea I will go".







Darren gets off the phone and tells me the doctor has told him to has to go to hospital tonight. Ok Im panicing now. His been told to pack a bag as he may be there a few days.



I call mum to come and watch the kids, I pack the bag while Darren looks lost.





We get to hospital at 10.50pm. explain to A&E nurse what we were told, and she sits us done to do BP, pulse and temp, all good :) She then looks at his blood results from earlier "Oh my, never seen them that high" she explains that White Blood Count, (WBC) should be between 4-11, ok Darrens was 382!!!


She takes us round to ward part of A&E and Darren is put into a side room. We sit, joke, laugh and text a few friends. John and Simon pop up but leave at 1.30am as Darren is taken for an xray. We notice on x ray form they are asking for xray to include spleen.





At 3am a doctor finally comes in, talks about white cells, bone marrow and waiting for someone to look at blood for us. He refuses to give us an idea of what they think and promotly leaves. The sister comes in and asks if all is ok and if the doctor answered all our questions. In short we say "no and to be honest his made things worse as we are now guessing". She asks what we are guessing, to which Darren replies "leukemia". The nurse just looks and my heart sinks. I know that look. She offers to walk me to the car. Jaz will want feeding at 5am. I tell Darren I will be back in mornign and they explain he will be on ward.





I cry all the way home. I get back and Dad promtly wakes mum. Its 4am. Mum and dad have gone home to get sleep but Dad has said he will be back at 8am to take Tanisha to school. I get into bed for all of an hour before Jaz wakes for a feed. 5.30am Kids wake up.
Tanisha asks where Daddy is and i have to explain that daddy has bad blood and his in hospital and doctors are trying to make him better. Dad arrives at 8am as promised and walks Tanisha to school. He then takes Jasmine to his house. I leave for hospital. Darren calls as I pull up at hospital to tell me doctor is there. I explain im trying to find carpark place and ask him to wait for me. I then spend 30 mintues trying to find a space!! In those 30 minutes I have shouted at the cars, beeped my horn and driven like a mad woman, but Im too late :(

Darren had been told he had Leukemia at 9.35am!!
In 12 hours our lifes have been turned upside down, and things are going to be so different from now on!