A SOLIHULL College student who has fought blood cancer is calling on others to push for scans and tests if they feel they have been misdiagnosed.
Kaiser Khan has told of his battle with blood cancer in a documentary for Clic Sargent, which provides financial and emotional support to young cancer sufferers, including him.
Shortly after starting his studies at Liverpool John Moores University he developed a rash and persistent itching.
He said he was diagnosed with eczema in January 2015 by doctors in Liverpool and was prescribed several eczema medications and home remedies.
The Stratford resident left his course and returned home when the painful itching became unbearable.
Over the year, Kaiser started to develop constant sweating, weight loss and began coughing up blood, which nearly drove him to suicide.
The 24-year-old said: “I was constantly sweating and itching all the time. I’d sit at the end of my bed in desperation because it just wouldn’t go away.
“I told the doctors I wanted to kill myself. It was getting to a stage where I really couldn’t deal with it anymore.”
Kaiser contacted a professor at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in November 2015.
The scans in January 2016 revealed Kaiser had a tumour on his chest.
“They told me I had a huge mass on my chest above my heart and that it was very aggressive.
“It was stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and it had spread to my right lung.
“When I found out I was heartbroken but also angry. I was relieved because I’d found out what it actually was but also angry because it had taken so long to find out.”
Kaiser went through 12 rounds of gruelling chemotherapy before being told his tumour had shrunk.
Tragically, his uncle was battling throat cancer at the same time and passed away after Kaiser’s treatment finished.
Kaiser has a smaller, non-cancerous tumour on his chest and will have regular check-ups until 2021.
The Solihull College barber student now assists with a young people’s reference group for ill young people, which involves meetings monthly to talk and share and even a trip away.
In a message to those who feel they have been misdiagnosed he said: “You need to keep pushing and stay positive. I know it’s hard because everyone has bad days.
“Keep a smile on your face because every single day is a blessing.
“If anyone is unsure about symptoms keep pursuing and it will eventually come out – early diagnosis is so important so don’t give up.
“If I didn’t have the charity I don’t think I would have been able to get through it.”
