Sir Chris Hoy has suffered another blow following his terminal cancer diagnosis as he revealed his wife is also suffering from an incurable disease.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 48, announced last night (Saturday, October 19) that he has been given two to four years to live. He learned he was suffering from prostate cancer after going to a doctor with pain in his shoulder, thinking he had suffered a gym injury.
There, he learned the disease had metastasised to tumours in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and ribs. Doctors told Hoy it was stage 4 cancer. “And just like that, I learn how I will die,” Hoy wrote in his new book, All That Matters.
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Now it has emerged his wife Sarra, has been diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS). Months after Hoy learned of his illness, Sarra went to her GP, reporting a tingling sensation in her face and tongue. Scans suggested she was suffering from MS, but more tests were required to confirm the illness.
In an extract of the book published by The Times this weekend, Hoy wrote: “It was [MS]. Another scan just before Christmas confirmed that Sarra had ‘very active and aggressive’ MS and needed urgent treatment.”
Sarra was given the choice between more potentially effective but riskier treatments, and lower-risk but less effective options. Hoy revealed the pair had opted for the latter.
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MS is a chronic disease that affects the brain and spinal chord. It is believed to be an autoimmune disorder, which sees the body attack itself by mistake. According to the NHS, common symptoms include fatigue; problems with your eyes or vision; numbness or tingling; feeling off-balance, dizzy or clumsy; muscle spasms and stiffness; needing to pee more often or not being able to control when you pee; problems with memory or concentration; and sexual problems.
There is no cure for MS, but treatment can improve sufferers’ quality of life. MS affects everyone differently. While some people may only get mild symptoms, for others it can be disabling.
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On her worst days, Sarra now finds it hard to put a key in the door, Hoy revealed. However, she refuses to let the news get her down. Hoy wrote: “She says all the time, ‘How lucky are we? We both have incurable illnesses for which there is some treatment. Not every disease has that. It could be a lot worse.'”
The couple have two children, seven and 10, who know about Hoy’s cancer. However, the paid have made the decision not to tell them about Sarra’s MS just yet. “I never want to lie to them. But there are certain things you don’t need to tell them straight away,” he wrote.
Hoy first revealed he was suffering form cancer back in February. The Edinburgh-born cyclist and racing driver, in addition to his six gold medals, bagged 11 world championships and 34 World Cup titles by the time he retired in 2013. He was a BBC Sport pundit for the Olympics in Paris this summer.