Andy Young, a 62-year-old retired financial controller from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, who worked for 17 years without a single sick day, was diagnosed with incurable myeloma shortly after retiring. His main symptom was suddenly losing his taste for beer, which he had brewed himself as a hobby.
Symptom: Going Off Beer
Before Christmas 2025, Young experienced mild flu-like symptoms and found it took him nearly three hours to drink a beer. He said: 'There was something about the taste because I really wasn't enjoying it. It was an effort to get through it.' After three weeks without improvement, he visited his GP in January 2026.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Blood tests revealed kidney dysfunction, and further tests—including blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, ECGs, ultrasounds, and a bone marrow biopsy—confirmed myeloma in March. Myeloma is a blood cancer that is treatable but not curable. Young said the news 'left me numb.' He began chemotherapy and is scheduled for a stem cell transplant in October.
Young noted that his ability to drink beer again indicates his kidneys are improving: 'I can drink a beer now, so I think that (strangely) shows that the chemotherapy is working.'
Spinal Fractures and Back Brace
In April, a full-body scan revealed two fractures near the top of his spine, close to impinging on the spinal cord. Young, who had no pain, now wears a custom-made Spider-Man-themed back brace. He must stop wearing it by September to proceed with the transplant.
Supporting Myeloma UK
Young is supporting Myeloma UK's Know the Warning Signs campaign. Myeloma affects more than 35,000 people in the UK and is difficult to detect because symptoms are often linked to ageing or minor conditions. He advises: 'If something doesn't feel right, or something changes, then it probably isn't right. Get it checked.'
