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It is twenty five years ago that I was first diagnosed with Cancer - a visit to the company doctor (I was working in the City of London at the time, in the Foreign Exchange markets) not only gave a prompt diagnosis of the problem, but the strongest opportunity for the best treatment as he was friends with the Professor of Testicular Cancer, Prof. Horwich. I had been suffering with pains "down below" for a couple of weeks and decided to get them checked out - any longer and it could have been a different story being told now - within 48 hours I was undergoing tests at the Sutton branch of the RMH and just days after that was in the Fulham Road branch for the operation to have the affected testes removed.

Subsequent analysis revealed that although the tumour was malignant, there was no trace of the disease left in my body, and so it was decided that I would be monitored through their "watch policy" which meant regular visits for blood tests, x-rays, etc., but no chemotherapy required. As time passed the frequency of the visits widened out, from fortnightly to monthly to three-monthly, and then, in 1990, to annually as the general belief then was that if there was no recurrence of the disease within that time, there was little chance of it ever returning.

Unfortunately, it was in that first, annual check-up period that things started to go pear-shaped again..... During the summer of 1991 I had been feeling uncomfortable in myself with much of my body aching, particularly in the area of the chest and abdomen. Visits to the local GP only suggested muscular strains etc. and the appropriate remedies for the considered diagnosis were administered, to no avail. By September of that year, whilst away in Cornwall on a three-week holiday, the pain was excruciating, preventing me from walking, eating properly, and even sleeping - I was racked with pain and could not understand the reason for it.

Returning home at the end of the three weeks I somehow returned to work only to be served with notice of redundancy! I looked at the cheque in front of me and thought of how nice it would be if I could just fall into another job and bank the lot.... It was not to be, and at my annual check-up a few weeks later, it was all explained to the doctors at the RMH, whereupon they immediately investigated further.

Cutting a long story short, it could not have been worse... the blood test revealed markers that were "off the scale" compared to most other results, and the CT scan showed that the disease had returned in a number of places, from the neck down to the chest, abdomen and, in particular, one of my adrenal glands. Any recovery was likely to be a long haul, with a 50-50 chance of success.

The first attempt, using a new regime of chemo treatment seemed to work after (I think) six months, but just a matter of weeks later, further tests showed otherwise. More scans, bloods, etc., and the "high-dose" treatment was the only option. This lasted for approximately ten months, during which time I was in at Sutton for a week taking the chemotherapy treatment and then spending two weeks at home, before the next course of treatment began. It was draining, to say the least - not just for me, but for my wife as well who not only had to support me physically and mentally, but had to drive up to the hospital from Sussex some 3-4 times each and every week.

However, at the same time, while all this was going on, I had decided that there was too much time being wasted just lying in a hospital bed, or at home convalescing, so I took the opportunity to begin writing a book about North Cornwall; the area around Polzeath, which was a place where I spent so many school holidays during my childhood. I had been collecting old b/w photographs of the area since the mid-1980s, and had always wanted to publish some of the collection in a new book but there had never been the time, due mostly to the pressures of life in the City.

As the months of 1992 slowly passed, the indications through blood tests and CT scans, were that the disease was being controlled and slowly reducing. By early 1993, with the smaller traces eradicated, there was just one significant area that required surgery - the removal of one of my adrenal glands - requiring a four-hour operation at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London. At roughly the same time the book was coming close to completion, and was likely to be ready to go to print by the end of February 1993.

With the big operation out of the way, the post-op tests continued and the prognosis looked favourable, yet every visit to the RMH was racked with apprehension - I would always be wondering to myself "would I be able to go home today, or would more tests be required?"

By Easter 1993 the book** was finished, printed, and published. The 4000 copies were delivered, in more than 50 boxes, to my front door one bright, sunny April morning - all I had to do now was get them into the shops down in Cornwall! Publishing it myself meant that I had total control of the project. It also meant that, with careful planning and distribution, I could make regular trips to Cornwall, which not only contributed to the sales volume, but also allowed me the opportunity to convalesce down there.

It was a great distraction from the main issue at the time and the aim that I had in mind was for the most part, achieved - I had pledged to contribute £1 for every book sold to the Royal Marsden Cancer Trust. To date, the sales have raised in excess of £2,500 and although the book continues to sell, the quantity is only around 50 copies per year.

All that was more than seventeen years ago. I cannot believe that it was that far back. Regular check-ups at the RMH continued throughout the period, as before, lengthening out from monthly, to bi-monthly, quarterly, six-monthly, annually and, now, (since last Friday, 10th December, 2010) two-yearly. The next appointment will be at the end of November, 2012 - WOW!

And all of this is THANKS to ALL of the staff who have been involved with my treatment throughout the 25 long years. To Professor Horwich, Professor Dearnaley, Dr. Goldstraw; who did the big op all those years ago, all of the other doctors, the nurses on the wards and in the outpatients department, not forgetting The Friends of The Royal Marsden who serve the coffees and buttered buns, always with a smile on their faces.

So, to mark the twenty five years of my extended life, and to acknowledge the work and dedication of all of those who have helped me survive through to today, this is an ideal opportunity to record my thanks to everyone, and who knows I might even make it through another 25 years!

Your support to this worthwhile opportunity would be very welcome - you may never need the care and attention of the RMH in your lifetime, but there is a likely chance that you will know of someone who will.

Thank you.

(Written: Saturday, 11th December 2010)

** The Charm of North Cornwall. Polzeath and Surrounding Districts. By Alan Drew. Triskele Publications. ISBN 0 9520627 0 4. Available directly, (£4.95) post free, by phoning Alan on either 01580-200259, or 07981-982522

9th April 2011

 

 

 

 

The Marsden March - Sunday, 27th March 2011 - Update

 

Two weeks have elapsed since I completed the walk, spurred-on by the generous support and sponsorship of so many people. I had wanted give everyone a quick update on how it all went a bit sooner than now, but events in between have prevented me from doing so. However, in delaying my scribblings, it now seems that all of the sponsorship money is in, and the final total is likely to be just over £2,200.00 .

Looking back to the day, the weather overnight was not as expected, pouring with rain right up until the point that we left home. Consequently, I did not wear the suit and bowler hat I had hoped to because of the uncertainty of the forecast. As it turned out I need not have worried because after a cold, grey start the weather slowly improved and by mid/late morning I was beginning to feel the heat of a very pleasant, spring day.

We left home this morning at just after 6am (5am if the clocks had not have gone forward!) and got to Sutton Station about an hour or so later. I caught the train up to Victoria and the tube over to South Ken., and Carole took the car back from Sutton Station to the RMH where she met quite a number people who work at the hospital, while she waited for me to arrive. She also delivered forty of my books that I was giving to the RMH for them to sell in their shop - when the books have sold, all of the proceeds will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Before the first group of walkers set off at 9.00 there were a few brief speeches from the special guests attending the event, one of whom was Gary Lineker who I got to talk to for a few seconds afterwards. That was a GOOD start to the day for me. I was scheduled to start my walk at 9.15am but I managed to get away a little earlier by sneaking in at the front of the next group - I did not want to hang around!

The walk went over to and across Putney Bridge, along Putney High Street and then up Putney Hill before walking across Wimbledon Common. Then, down to Raynes Park and on towards Cheam, Nonsuch Park, and then Belmont (Sutton). Throughout the walk, as I passed each mile marker I was texting Carole to tell her how I was getting on.

Early on in the walk I had been particularly touched by one very large group of about 100 walkers (mostly friends, I think, but some family) who were taking part "To Remember Mitch." I learnt later on in the walk that Mitch was a lad in his mid-teens who had died from Leukaemia two years ago. I reflected on not only what that chap had endured during his treatments, but just what a well-respected person he must have been, and how much he was missed by so many people.

A couple of miles from the finish line I was able to help push a person in a wheelchair for 3/4 mile as the two women who were sharing the job (all three were competitors in the 5-mile walk that was taking place at the same time) were struggling a little! This was just one of the many opportunities during the walk to be able to talk to others who had been associated with the RMH, either as patients themselves or as relatives of those who had received treatment there, with varying results.

Then, a mile or so from the end of the walk, whilst passing the shops in Belmont, I listened briefly to the parents of a young lad (maybe five or six years of age) talking to an interviewer from Radio Marsden about how their son, who was currently attending the hospital for courses of chemotherapy, had managed to complete four miles of the shorter, five mile walk, and he was still going to do the fifth when the interview had finished! For all of the miles that I had covered at that point I felt that knowing what he had been going through recently, his efforts far outweighed all that I had accomplished on the day. It is moments like that that make this event so worthwhile, and so inspirational.

The 14-mile walk took me 4hr 10m. It was not a race but like most longer walks that I do, I don't like to stop if at all possible and at about 1.15pm I crossed the finish line at RMH, Sutton where there were lots of people on the grassy bank clapping and cheering all of the competitors as they came in.

Carole was waiting for me just a short distance beyond the finish line where, as we had our photographs taken, someone came across and presented me with a medal to commemorate the occasion. Such a great moment, and all this right in front of the building where I spent so much of my time in the early 1990s. As I looked over to the main hospital building my thoughts switched to those who were up there at that moment, lying in the wards and receiving similar treatments to those that I had had so long ago. I counted myself as soooo lucky to be where I was today, and all of the days before it.

Then, just as soon as it had started, it was all over! A lovely walk in the company of so many exceptional people making it such a marvellous and worthwhile day.

I am now looking forward to next year's walk. I've registered for it so I hope that I will be able to wear the suit and bowler hat next time, whatever the weather!

Thanks again to everyone for the support - especially to Carole who has worked tirelessly for the past few weeks to get people involved. Absolutely marvellous. Thank you.

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