As an employer, Cemex has a responsibility to ensure suitable controls are implemented to ensure the work environment and tasks employees carry out are not detrimental to our health and to provide appropriate health surveillance. This is arranged through an independent Occupational Health Service.  As part of this health surveillance, employees are offered an optional blood test. All test results are anonymous, Cemex does not receive individual results, only a general indication of overall health trends.

We encourage everyone to take up the health screening, including the blood tests, as it can highlight any issues that you might not otherwise be aware of, and would not find out about if you have no symptoms.  In some cases, colleagues who have had the health screening and the blood tests have discovered issues requiring treatment. This was the case for Health & Safety Manager, Julie Welch.

Julie has bravely agreed to share her story to encourage colleagues at Cemex to take up the blood tests and health screening when they are given the opportunity.

Julie’s story:

“In the middle of October I attended the mobile health screening offered by the company.  I always take the opportunity to take the optional blood test as this can identify several health issues which a normal medical doesn’t detect.  Shortly after this I started to feel not my usual self.  I like to swim at least four times a week and go to spinning classes at least once a week.  I started to find that I was really struggling to walk a medium / long distance and up steps without getting out of breath.

Looking back to the end of September, I was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT – blood clot) in the back of my knee which was put down to flying.  This wasn’t a long-haul flight, just to Spain, but having travelled with a budget airline, sitting in cramped space with little leg room, followed by a three hour commute from the airport didn’t help.  I was prescribed blood thinning tablets for three months, which is what I put my breathlessness down to.  I went to see the doctor about this but she didn’t really think it was an issue and wanted to keep me on the tablets.

Then, shortly after my visit to the doctors, I received my blood test results from the Cemex blood test.  These highlighted five of the results related to blood counts were out of range; some of which were significantly lower or higher than the norm.  I, therefore, sent a copy to my doctor and within two days I was invited for a review with my doctor where she did an urgent blood test.  Within the week she informed me that I had some type of blood cancer and she wanted me to see a specialist.  Two days after Christmas 2023, I sat in front of the Consultant who informed me that I have a cancer called Myeloma, which is a cancer of the bone marrow.

The Consultant informed me that although there is no cure for this cancer, I was very lucky to have caught it early as usually it isn’t detected until it causes areas of bone to become porous and weak, resulting in lesions that look like holes on an X-ray and can result in multiple fractures.  I, therefore, started treatment within a few weeks and I am now taking part in a clinical trial which is having positive results in managing the cancer.

So, my message is this – please take up the offer of health screening and take the optional blood test.  This test is not a standard blood test that may be carried out at your local doctors’ surgery and can detect anomalies that normally may not be identified.”