SAS veteran to mark decade since he was given 10 years to live with 137km cycle after tooth removal revealed rare cancer

An SAS veteran given 10 years to live after a wisdom tooth removal led to a rare cancer diagnosis is preparing for a mammoth bike ride to celebrate reaching the decade milestone.

Bob Perry, 70, from Poole, Dorset, previously served in the Army and the SAS, and then as a police detective investigating murders and drug deals, but suddenly became ill after retiring in 2011.

Doctors initially attributed his symptoms, which included fatigue, slurred speech, muscle spasms, loss of limb control, night sweats and skin issues, to his age, before misdiagnosing him with a rare condition known as stiff-person syndrome.

But in October 2015 a blood test prompted by a haemorrhage during a wisdom tooth removal saw him diagnosed with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare form of blood cancer, and doctors gave him 10 years to live.

A decade on and nine years after finishing chemotherapy, Bob is preparing for the Club des Cingles cycle ride, which will see him make three ascents of Mont Ventoux in southern France, covering 137km (85 miles) and an elevation of 4.5km (2.8 miles) in one day to raise £10,000 for the hospitals that treat him.

Bob told PA Real Life: “I was looking for something a little bit different to celebrate – first of all being 70 and still alive, and secondly to celebrate 10 years after I was told I had 10 years to live.

“The future is bright even though a cure is not quite in sight yet – there’s treatments and you can enjoy a good quality of life.

“I just love my fitness, it’s what keeps me going.”

Bob joined the Army at the age of 17, working with the Royal Engineers for 10 years as a diver on underwater construction projects, demolition and searches.

When he was 27 he joined the SAS, working in Malaysia, Canada, Kenya, Oman, and Belize, before joining the police as a detective working across various crime units including surveillance, intelligence, drug and murder squads.

“From 27 to 30 I was in the Special Air Service and you kind of convince yourself you’re one of only 200 men that are gonna save the planet, you’re that hyped up about it all,” he said.

“And then all of a sudden you’re nobody, and then all of a sudden you’re nobody with a chronic or lifelong illness.

“But all of that training and that experience of those different roles, I hope, made me into a positive person who can do good for people, whether that’s talking to them about (WM) or trying to raise money.”

When Bob first became ill in 2011, doctors struggled to diagnose him and suggested his symptoms might be related to his age.

Bob said his unexplained illness prevented him being able to lift his shoulders, which inhibited everyday activities such as putting on a jacket, washing his hair, or carrying a cup of coffee.

“It was getting me down, I was getting into a real dark, dark place,” he said.

In 2013, Bob was misdiagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder characterised by muscle stiffness and spasms, and treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), where antibodies are administered to the immune system.

In 2015, he started haemorrhaging during a wisdom tooth removal so his dentist advised him to consult his doctor about potential issues with his blood.

After consulting his GP, in October 2015, while in Cardiff with his wife, Deborah Perry, to see the Rugby World Cup, he received the news that there were problems with his blood and that he needed further tests, including a bone marrow biopsy, which led to his WM diagnosis.

Bob started chemotherapy within 48 hours of being diagnosed with WM, and said the night before starting treatment he was given a handful of steroid tablets.

He said since taking them: “I’ve not had a twitch or spasm. My shoulder started working, everything’s fine since then.

“It was almost like a miracle, but I don’t believe in miracles. It was just incredible.”

Bob’s symptoms have been alleviated since he had chemotherapy, which lasted nine months, from October 2015 to April 2016.

His shoulders started working again, he no longer feels fatigued, and his muscle spasms, itching and night sweats have stopped.

Since finishing chemotherapy, Bob does not take any medication for his cancer and has been on active surveillance, meaning he has regular blood tests and visits his consultant every three months.

Bob last saw his consultant on April 10 and said he has been cleared for the next six months, which will take him to the 10th anniversary of his diagnosis.

He said: “(For) some people the treatment doesn’t work, some people it only partially works, some people only get two years out of it.

“But the good thing about this particular condition is there are new and innovative drugs coming along, not to cure it, but as alternative treatments.”

After finishing chemotherapy, Bob took up cycling and rode from London to Paris to raise money for WMUK in 2023.

This August he is aiming to complete the Club des Cingles cycle ride, attempting three ascents of Mont Ventoux in France, covering 137km (85 miles) and an elevation of 4.5km (2.8 miles) in one day.

He aims to raise £10,000 for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, giving half of the money raised to the quiet room in the Jigsaw Building at Bournemouth Hospital where he receives treatment, with the other half used to support University Hospitals Dorset’s cardiac services.

Bob hopes to complete the bike ride on August 27 or 28, two weeks before his 71st birthday.

Since becoming ill, charity work has become a big part of his life and he has volunteered for WMUK, is on the board of trustees for IWMF (International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation), and co-runs a veterans’ charity called the Bournemouth Above and Beyond Trust.

Bob’s cycle ride will be supported by two bike shop workers he met while arranging his veterans’ charity rides – Mark Wratten and Andrew Woods, of Trek Bicycle Poole.

Bob has other cycling-related fundraising plans, including hosting a pub quiz night while riding his bike, and cycling for three hours on a roller in the receptions at Poole Hospital and Bournemouth Royal Hospital.

To find out more, visit Bob’s JustGiving page at: justgiving.com/page/robert-perry-5