CANCER PART ONE: "I never thought it was going to be me".
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I'm in my mid 40's pretty fit, never smoked. drink once a month if that, but on September 11th, 2017 #TheBigC hit me like a ton of bricks, by the numbers, it's pretty scary as every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.
Looking at the statistics from the top 20 countries between 70% and 90% of common cancers are due to environmental factors and therefore potentially preventable.
A little about me: I was born & grew up in London, I find it to be a beautiful vast cosmopolitan city with 8.7 million people, twice as big as Berlin it's nearest rival.
I'm originally from South London & have been living in Shoreditch & working in the City for the past 16 years as a Personal trainer and Metabolic consultant my Diagnose was T1 N1 MO squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, primary site left tonsil.
Not the best news I’ve ever had, but I was in a right frame of mind & importantly not alone, with my Mother, Fiancé & baby girl of eight months by my side.
Were there any signs?
Looking at the statistics from the top 20 countries between 70% and 90% of common cancers are due to environmental factors and therefore potentially preventable.
A little about me: I was born & grew up in London, I find it to be a beautiful vast cosmopolitan city with 8.7 million people, twice as big as Berlin it's nearest rival.
I'm originally from South London & have been living in Shoreditch & working in the City for the past 16 years as a Personal trainer and Metabolic consultant my Diagnose was T1 N1 MO squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, primary site left tonsil.
Not the best news I’ve ever had, but I was in a right frame of mind & importantly not alone, with my Mother, Fiancé & baby girl of eight months by my side.
Were there any signs?
AS I LOOKED BACK, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE A FEW THINGS OUT.
I had a cough.. a really "pesky" kind of a cough like the feeling of being the bad character in Scooby Doo that came out after dark... "Pesky kids/ meddling kids" (cough!) Yeah...It was weird,.. thing is it only came out at night when I went to bed..spooky ..never going away two months turned to several. I couldn't work it out..I thought I had a draught in the bedroom..."pesky."
No weight loss or feeling fatigued in the morning, indeed no pain anywhere...I'll repeat that no pain anywhere.
One morning I was shaving trying to trim up my beard with my fancy Gillette Fusion ProGlide. The previous week I had gone for a free beard trim at Hair academy for men in Shoreditch, I remember a few of the tips Junior (one of the head guys) had given me so I thought I'd take my time and try to get some nice lines.
I had a cough.. a really "pesky" kind of a cough like the feeling of being the bad character in Scooby Doo that came out after dark... "Pesky kids/ meddling kids" (cough!) Yeah...It was weird,.. thing is it only came out at night when I went to bed..spooky ..never going away two months turned to several. I couldn't work it out..I thought I had a draught in the bedroom..."pesky."
No weight loss or feeling fatigued in the morning, indeed no pain anywhere...I'll repeat that no pain anywhere.
One morning I was shaving trying to trim up my beard with my fancy Gillette Fusion ProGlide. The previous week I had gone for a free beard trim at Hair academy for men in Shoreditch, I remember a few of the tips Junior (one of the head guys) had given me so I thought I'd take my time and try to get some nice lines.
"Look, pal lets cut out going back & forth between GP & Dr's as it can drag on for several weeks perhaps months, I'd like to do a core biopsy straight away so if you give me your verbal consent"...
So as I mentioned whilst shaving it was the first time I felt a little lump halfway between my chin & the end my jaw bone, I was pretty quick to ask the missus what she thought and she also said that it didn't look or feel right.
End of the week came, I went to visit my Mother, I think on a Saturday & somewhere in the conversation, I asked her opinion about that particular area. Having been a senior Nurse in the NHS for over 25 years, it's safe to say she knows a thing or two, added to that being a Mother & yours truly being her only Son she said... "Promise me you will go on Monday to the GP & ask to be referred for an Ultrasound scan."
I did just that, my GP referred me to Homerton Hospital I got an appointment reasonably quick, on Thursday that week I had my Ultrasound check. Luck of the Irish...
The guy I met was a real friendly chap, we chatted away about a few things in common & after the scan he just said. "Look, pal lets cut out going back & forth between GP & Dr's as it can drag on for several weeks perhaps months, I'd like to do a core biopsy straight away so if you give me your verbal consent...
He didn't have to ask twice, I gave him a high five & he pulled out this "big ass super needle ..that looked like a gizmo from Star Trek". The needle contained another needle-like gadget inside it that after being inserted into my neck snapped back & grabbed some flesh of the suspect area.
Check out the video above. ( the voice you hear at the start of the video is this guy, I cant thank him enought for being so proactive).
My guy said he coudnt say any more about it but.. they would be in touch in a few days via my GP and so the same week another appointment was booked this time for blood tests. I went about my way & did my final Personal training session of the day with a client in his home in Hamstead.
I slept Ok ..however, things were starting to get serious now. I thought my Lymph node in my neck is inflamed, biopsy & blood test done let's see what the Dr says before I start looking into things.
CT scan was done the following week, this type of scan builds up a 3 Dimensional picture inside of your body, I was injected with a liquid that felt hot...warm fuzzy sensation throughout my body, really ticking the boxes now.
I'd got the blood test results back all was normal ..so I went to see the Specialist Dr., my thoughts were I know I tested negative for Sickle cell a few years ago, it's not blood-related cancer like Leukaemia, perhaps (non) Hodgekins Lymphoma? as that was the ballpark area.
Homerton Hospital specialises in Blood cancers, I was told the news it was not one of those, but another type...Cancer all the same. I was going to be referred to the Royal London in Whitechapel & to St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts).
Mums do their best, and they want to comfort you by having a kind word in your ear & throwing their arms around you, as we sat down I just said I need a few moments of peace... If I told you my first emotion that I felt was embarrassment, that would sound strange right? not fear or anger more of weakness. ( more about that in part two)
I blamed myself.. somehow, that moment was perhaps summoned up my lack of understanding of (1) What is cancer?, (2) who it affects? and (3) when can it strike?.
(1) Cancer is a Metabolic Malfunction, not Cellular Mutation (2) Anyone, (3) That ones a curveball, that can be bought upon my multiple factors.
So here is my curveball ..end of part one.
Now almost nine months on after my operation & was six weeks of Chemo & radiotherapy treatment behind me, I’ve reached the other side & think it time to share my story as well as listen to many others.
I’m blessed & genuinely grateful... (PART TWO COMING SHORTLY)
IF YOU WOULD LIKE HELP WITH DEALING WITH CANCER OR FIND SOME USEFUL LINKS GET IN CONTACT WITH MYSELF JUST GO TO THE CONTACT SECTION
End of the week came, I went to visit my Mother, I think on a Saturday & somewhere in the conversation, I asked her opinion about that particular area. Having been a senior Nurse in the NHS for over 25 years, it's safe to say she knows a thing or two, added to that being a Mother & yours truly being her only Son she said... "Promise me you will go on Monday to the GP & ask to be referred for an Ultrasound scan."
I did just that, my GP referred me to Homerton Hospital I got an appointment reasonably quick, on Thursday that week I had my Ultrasound check. Luck of the Irish...
The guy I met was a real friendly chap, we chatted away about a few things in common & after the scan he just said. "Look, pal lets cut out going back & forth between GP & Dr's as it can drag on for several weeks perhaps months, I'd like to do a core biopsy straight away so if you give me your verbal consent...
He didn't have to ask twice, I gave him a high five & he pulled out this "big ass super needle ..that looked like a gizmo from Star Trek". The needle contained another needle-like gadget inside it that after being inserted into my neck snapped back & grabbed some flesh of the suspect area.
Check out the video above. ( the voice you hear at the start of the video is this guy, I cant thank him enought for being so proactive).
My guy said he coudnt say any more about it but.. they would be in touch in a few days via my GP and so the same week another appointment was booked this time for blood tests. I went about my way & did my final Personal training session of the day with a client in his home in Hamstead.
I slept Ok ..however, things were starting to get serious now. I thought my Lymph node in my neck is inflamed, biopsy & blood test done let's see what the Dr says before I start looking into things.
CT scan was done the following week, this type of scan builds up a 3 Dimensional picture inside of your body, I was injected with a liquid that felt hot...warm fuzzy sensation throughout my body, really ticking the boxes now.
I'd got the blood test results back all was normal ..so I went to see the Specialist Dr., my thoughts were I know I tested negative for Sickle cell a few years ago, it's not blood-related cancer like Leukaemia, perhaps (non) Hodgekins Lymphoma? as that was the ballpark area.
Homerton Hospital specialises in Blood cancers, I was told the news it was not one of those, but another type...Cancer all the same. I was going to be referred to the Royal London in Whitechapel & to St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts).
Mums do their best, and they want to comfort you by having a kind word in your ear & throwing their arms around you, as we sat down I just said I need a few moments of peace... If I told you my first emotion that I felt was embarrassment, that would sound strange right? not fear or anger more of weakness. ( more about that in part two)
I blamed myself.. somehow, that moment was perhaps summoned up my lack of understanding of (1) What is cancer?, (2) who it affects? and (3) when can it strike?.
(1) Cancer is a Metabolic Malfunction, not Cellular Mutation (2) Anyone, (3) That ones a curveball, that can be bought upon my multiple factors.
So here is my curveball ..end of part one.
Now almost nine months on after my operation & was six weeks of Chemo & radiotherapy treatment behind me, I’ve reached the other side & think it time to share my story as well as listen to many others.
I’m blessed & genuinely grateful... (PART TWO COMING SHORTLY)
IF YOU WOULD LIKE HELP WITH DEALING WITH CANCER OR FIND SOME USEFUL LINKS GET IN CONTACT WITH MYSELF JUST GO TO THE CONTACT SECTION