Getting the story told

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I was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2009.  15 years and four major operations later I'm still going strong.  Two years ago, my Elizabeth asked, "Why don't you keep a cancer diary? It might be useful to other people."  So I did.  I started by writing up the backstory.  A lot had happened in those 13 years.  In 2015 it was discovered I had metastatic tumours in both lungs.  My oncologist offered chemotherapy and I spent time researching and copntemplating the implications.  When I'd asked him how long I'd need to be on the treatment he replied, "For the rest of your life."   I was 74 at the time and in pretty good fetters physically and mentally.  Elizabeth and I consdered the matter together and agreed, the side effects would mean a much depleted quality of life and I thought I'd rather have a short but relatively comfortable one than a slightly longer but uncomfortabale one. 

Fortunately we'd been long been living a healthy(ish) life style with plenty of exercise, a relatively good diet and I'd long been involved in meditative practices. We stepped up this regimen and I began to do research into keeping healthy while living with cancer. I'd been volunteering with Macmillan and got a lot of help from other cancer support groups in such areas as nutrition, therapies and mindfulness activities.    Even so, I was a surprised to arrive at my 80th birthday, externally at lease fit and well.. We had a great celebration in which I played guitar in our band, Alive and Pickin'. Then in 2022 tumours were found in my pancreas and in 2023 I broke my left humerus.  A tumour was found in the bone and a prosthetic shoulder was implanted.  

By then the  diary had turned into a book, which I called, 'What my Doctors Didn't Tell me About Cancer'.  The long convalescent period (it was about 8 months) enabled me to complete the book and, encouraged and supported by Elizabeth, I submitted it for publication and was accepted.  It will be in all good bookshops and online from 1st July.

Although not everyone can be as fortunate as I have been, my message is one of hope.  There are things we can do to support our immune system and treatment and by doing so we can ameliorate, if not eliminate some of the worsed affects of our various conditons and treatments.   I hope this will inspire you to be creative in your own way too.

  • Hi  

    Thanks for sharing, I have often said that if you get the best information you can that whatever decision anyone makes is the right decision, life after all does not have a reset button. 

    Good luck with the book.

    <<hugs>>

    Steve

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