Adil Malik, 28, from Walthamstow, thought he had a UTI...
BIG health story
Putting my controller down, Ineeded to use the toilet.
In September 2020, Iwas catching up with my friends over lockdown through gaming.
Only, I noticed blood in the toilet bowl.
‘Is it weird that there’s blood in my pee?’ Iasked my friends, putting my headset back on. ‘I’d keep an eye on it,’ my friends advised. ‘Maybe get it checked out.’
But thinking it would clear up on its own, I carried on as normal for the next few weeks.
Only, Icontinued passing blood in my urine and it was darkening in colour.
Maybe it’s aUTI, I thought. Calling NHS out of hours, I told them my concerns and was prescribed some antibiotics.
‘It could be an infection like an STI,’ Iwas told.
But Iknew it couldn’t have been an STI.
At the time, I didn’t want to tell my mum Shahina, 64.
Iwas her only son, and I knew she would worry too much about me.
But Idid tell my big sister Uzma, now 34.
‘Go back to the doctors,’ she told me firmly.
While Iwas quite happy to bury my head in the sand, Uzma really pushed for me to get checked.
She WhatsApped me constantly, always asking if I’d booked my appointment and I was grateful she cared.
So when the blood didn’t clear, Ibooked another appointment.
I’d also lost 10kg in weight, which I’d attributed to losing muscle due to not being able to work out with the gyms shut.
‘Go to A&E now,’ I was told.
Heading to Royal Free Hospital, Iwas referred for tests, including an ultrasound on my kidneys and testes.
Ihad no idea what to expect, still thinking Imay just have a urine infection.
‘You have a lesion’
Iwas just 25 –you don’t expect anything bad to happen at that age.
Working as an ASDA delivery driver at the time, I received acall from my doctor while working.
Pulling over, I turned the radio off, leaving the static buzzing in the cab.
‘You have alesion on your kidney,’ the doctor said. ‘It could be cancerous.’
Damn, I thought. Iwas stunned.
Continuing my route, Ikept listening to the radio static. All Icould think about was the possibility of having atumour.
And getting back to my car, I broke down.
In February 2021 Iwent for abiopsy, where aneedle was used to extract some cells from my kidney.
I hadn’t told my family, not even Uzma, and acouple days later I received aphone call.
Sat eating my breakfast and watching Modern Family, I was told Icould come in for
