'I thought my fatigue was from being a busy mum - but the truth was sinister'

A mum who put down her fatigue and bruising on her legs down to being a busy parent was rocked to be diagnosed with a rare blood disorder.

Lynn McCarthy was at risk of internal bleeding due to her aplastic anaemia, a condition in which the body fails to make blood cells in sufficient numbers. She spent one month in hospital, during which time she was on a drip for 18 hours a day for a week and received eight blood transfusions.

But the 41-year-old woman only went to her GP after her friend "guilted" into doing so, after weeks of feeling tired and spotting unexplained bruises. This fuelled the journey which turned Lynn's life upside down as she was admitted to Cork University Hospital (CUH) on the same day.

The mum of two said: "I gave my name at reception in A&E and they saw me straight away. I knew then it was very serious. They did lots of blood tests, they thought it was leukaemia at first and asked me loads of questions about my life, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. My blood was like water, it wouldn’t clot. Over the coming days they found out I had aplastic anaemia, which meant I was in danger of internal bleeding."

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Lynn, a former primary school teacher, had never previously stayed in hospital other than having her children. However, medics were concerned her bone marrow was failing and so she underwent a bone marrow biopsy and complete blood count tests every day for one month to measure her red blood cells, haemoglobin, white blood cells and platelets, and her reaction to treatment.

In a healthy adult, the platelet count ordinarily ranges from 150-450, but on admission to A&E, Lynn said hers stood at six. The suddenness and seriousness of the diagnosis shocked her – and should serve as a warning to others, she says, not to dismiss what, on the surface, may present as innocuous symptoms.

Lynn continued: "I couldn’t believe it, I was such a healthy person before. I was in CUH for a month. When you’re there 24/7 at home and then you’re gone, it was a trauma. I never felt so anxious in my life, leaving my little girls and not knowing what was ahead of me.

"If the medication they put me on hadn’t worked, I would have been exposed to a lot of infections. For the year that I was on the drugs, I couldn’t go into a swimming pool or crowded areas, you’re constantly aware of germs and washing your hands."

The former teacher has warned other people, particularly busy parents, to always visit their GP if they experience any symptoms, such as fatigue and bruising, rather than dismiss them. She said: "You have only one body, you have to look after it but we tend to put ourselves last."