My story.

Like everyone when I got my first cancer diagnosis 5 years ago I thought - how long do I have?. Cancer is a death sentence - Right?

That was when I was 62. Fast forward to today and I've now had 3 primary cancers, Prostate + Bowel + Melanoma.  

All were particularly nasty since they were invasive with only minor symptoms. All were life threatening. Bowel was stage 3.

I've had chemo twice, radiotherapy, a stoma, stoma reversal and 6 surgeries including one that was over 7 hours.  

Guess what? I'm not dead yet! 

In fact I consider myself fit, happy, living life to the full. Honestly, I feel completely healthy. I'm loving life, am full of energy and nothing that has happened has really dented me badly.. 

I'm still working full time in construction and I've taken very few days off work. Busy is good. Most colleagues haven't a clue and I tell only closest friends and family. 

From the beginning I've had a simple rule - The cancer may kill me, but it wont stop me living my life while I'm here. 

Cancer isn't always a death sentence - get the best treatment you can as early as possible, but don't stress what you can't control. Cancer feeds off worry.

I have learned how precious a normal, pain free day is - better than a year of being sick. So if I live another month without sickness, that's as good as a 30 years of being miserable. 

Worry and stress are your biggest enemies. 

My heart truly goes out to those where cancer is ruining your life. I consider myself beyond lucky. My words are not to hurt those in trouble, but to encourage those with a new diagnosis to keep positive and enjoy life. It too precious to waste worrying with a duvet in front of daytime TV! 

DETAILS - for those interested...

2020 Prostate. A routine test showed a minor elevation in PSA.  I pushed for a biopsy which was mostly clear - a little cancer on one side. "Watch and see" I was told. I didn't  like the idea so I investigated treatment. The private clinic scans (thanks BUPA) found it  was now a large cancer needing removal. 

A Prof from a private clinic removed it in November 2020 - the pathology showed it was one tenth of a millimetre from the edge of the prostate - I truly dodged a bullet. No after treatment needed and life got back to normal. Since then my PSA has been undetectable.

August the following year I noticed a tiny amount of blood in my poo - only once. Did a home test for bowel cancer, which showed positive. BUPA came to rescue again, and I had a colonoscopy which found a small flat cancer in my bowel. So small it didn't even show on a CT  scan.

I went to hospital for surgery, planned by Christmas,. However pre surgery scans showed the cancer had already spread too much for surgery. A course of chemo and radiotherapy thankfully worked and shrunk it enough for surgery, which was April 2022 (Robotic in hospital). One infected lymph was attached to my spine and another was against a major artery so the operation took over 7 hours.  Thanks again BUPA and the RM.

Unsure if they had it all, a nasty course of CAPOX was decided on, while I got used to the joys of a stoma. I had a power port installed for all the intravenous treatments so my grandkids wouldn't see a pic line. Recovery from stoma reversal surgery and getting back to normal from that was an uphill struggle for a few months. 

Further scans and a follow up colonoscopy all show I'm clear.

December 2024  I went to my GP because a mole on my back had bled after I used a rather aggressive massage chair. He confirmed it was benign but offered to cut it out if it annoyed me. A couple of months later he cut it out (very minor surgery since it was less than 10mm). He said he always sent things off for pathology but he was still certain it was benign. 2 weeks later a telephone call from a shocked doctor to tell me it was invasive melanoma. 

Off to hospital again (thanks again BUPA) and yesterday one of their amazing surgeons chopped a large margin around the source and their nuclear medical department scanned which areas the cancer may have travelled to. They surgeon chopped out the lymph node in my armpit and in 2 weeks I'll know if the cancer had spread or if we caught it in time. 

Anyway, that's my story. I do feel under attack. No history of family cancer, yet it seems determined to creep up and get me. In defiance I've just bought a speedboat and am going to teach my grandkids waterskiing this summer. 

So cancer, so far its three -nil to me  - and I'm not dead yet!