Former Leeds Rhinos star with MND discovers symptoms were caused by pills
Paul Gill moved his wedding forward to his fiancée Christine Metcalfe
A former Leeds Rhinos star who was told he was going to die following a Motor Neurone Disease (MND) diagnosis later discovered his symptoms were caused by his prescribed statin pills.
Paul Gill, 65, from Bradford, was given the choice of dying at home or in a hospice after being informed he had MND in June last year. The former rugby league player was resigned to suffering a fate similar to fellow ex-Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow, who has been left wheelchair-bound by the condition. There is currently no cure for MND, which affects the nerves and brain and slowly robs patients of the ability to walk, talk and eat.
But following six months of extensive therapy and life-prolonging treatment, Paul was shocked to find that his health had started to improve. And on January 25, he learned that he actually had statin-induced myopathy – caused by his nightly 40mg cholesterol tablet – which he stopped taking after his MND diagnosis.
The grandad-of-one, who had expected to die in agony but could now make a full recovery, said after finding out the news: “I’m just in shock. It’s a wonderful feeling, an incredible feeling. I feel like I’ve had a death sentence and I’ve been let off – like I’ve come off death row.
“A couple of my good pals that I played with at Clayton Rugby Club, unfortunately, they had MND – and I thought of Rob Burrow straight away. But the big key decision I made – which I didn’t realise at the time was going to be absolutely massive – was I stopped taking my Statins when I got diagnosed.
“The consultant told me when I went back on January 25 that was probably the best decision I’d ever made. They were actually impacting my muscles. I’m still speechless, and it’s just a miracle.”
Paul moved his wedding forward to his fiancée Christine Metcalfe, 55, when he was faced with the terrifying terminal diagnosis. And on February 17, they tied the knot before meeting up with hundreds of well-wishers at their reception. He said: “It’s just incredible really. I would have had a great time if I had MND, but to actually get the all clear is amazing. It’s fantastic. We had about 200 guests.
“We’ve been together for 17 years, and we got engaged after 15 years. I thought we had another 15 years spare, but with the MND diagnosis we decided to move it forward. But it was really happy. We’re going to Benidorm for our honeymoon. It’s the icing on the cake.
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