Video Blog Diary. Please see on your right a video of my finishing treatment. Click on it and it will load up. If your system doesn't allow to view it look at the top of your browser and click on the permission message. It's Youtube supplied.

Where it started. Autumn 2007 I developed a deep cough. The whole of my lungs seemed to be involved. It happened when I was well into my sleep. Click here to read more.

Diagnosis. Dr Newton asked me if I wanted to look at the scan pictures. I just looked at him in slight disbelief thinking "no I don't want to look at bloody pictures". Click here to read more.

Treatment. The treatment consists of Chemo (drugs) and Radio (x-rays) Therapies. Two drugs called Etoposide and Cisplatin as part of my Chemo Therapy. I have 33 sessions of Radio Therapy. Click here to read more.

Where it started

Autumn 2007 I developed a deep cough. The whole of my lungs seemed to be involved. It happened mainly when I was well into my sleep. The cough was quite persistent and I went to see Dr Paterson and he asked me if I smoked? I don't. I use to in my early 20's as a student but not a heavy smoker. He asked if I had coughed up blodd. I hadn't and he prescribed antibiotics and off I went. Into the antibiotics I did cough up blood and some other quite odd looking stuff and I put it down to the nastiness being ejected. A few weeks later the cough came back and I went back to the doctor and told him I had coughed up a bit of blood.

He referred me to the X - Ray unit in Shipley and it just snow balled from there. My doctor rang me and told me I had a Shadow on my right lung. It was suggested it was an abscess due to the cough. I went for a CT Scan. These two tests were done just before Christmas. My case was referred to the Oncolgy Unit at the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI).

So January was the start of more tests. I met Dr Newton and Katie Henderson a Macmillan Nurse. He asked lots of questions to build up a picture of me, including ones about my pets! He did a physical examination of me from head to toe. He asked many questions and I answered them but none of my answers had, seemingly, any worrying elements to them.

I was a perfectly healthy 31 year old male. I did ask him what he thought it was and he was not entirely sure but he had seen the X-ray report and was concerned. He did say to me that there was something serious inside me. I did ask him did he think I had cancer. He could not say I did or not but there were some indications that needed to be explored.

So a Bronchoscopy was ordered and I had blood taken from me as well. I went for the Bronchoscopy pronounced Bronc-osc-opy. It took me a while to get my tongue around it! I couldn't eat on the morning and I went into the BRI and signed in. It took 4 1/2 hours for the procedure. They put a long tube with a camera on the end down my nasal passages and they put it into my lungs. They also took a Biopsy or a little sample from me for further tests with this magical tube device. I was under sedation; I can't remember the drug's name but it was Valium's baby brother.

I was out by 12:30pm and I had a little discomfort for a day or two.

I had a couple of days in London with work. I am a sales rep for my company Hatch Mansfield. We are agents for 12 wine companies all of which are family owned, independent and crucially produce cracking wines. We had an En Primeur tasting, tasting wines before they are released, of one of Burgundy's top houses, Louis Jadot and then the following day the the New Zealand trade show at Lords Cricket Ground where we were showing our Villa Maria, Esk Valley and Vidal wines. So I had plenty of distractions to keep me occupied.

However when I got back home I started to do "research" on t'internet. I started to fret as everything kept coming back to LUNG CANCER. By this time I was convinced that this is what I had. The next day I rang up the MacMillan nurse Katie. I told her I was fretting and I wanted to see the Doctor asap. I.e. today! I.e. now! Not tomorrow as arranged. I went down to the BRI. Back to Homepage

Diagnosis

I was taken to the room and Dr Newton was there and asked me if I wanted to look at my scan pictures. He got up to walk to the scan screen. I just looked at him in slight disbelief thinking "no I don't want to look at bloody pictures". I believe he got the gist of my look and sat back down and then I asked him what I had. He told me that I had a Tumour in my right lung. I asked him if that meant I had Lung Cancer and he told me I had a Cancer of the Lung, yes.

Bam! Sledgehammer! Bam! Boy did I shed 3 tears. However I collected my thoughts. Right what do I have to do to beat this then? How do I help others to help me to beat this?

Dr Newton then showed me the scan pictures and showed me the tumour and casually dropped into conversation that I would have to have my right lung taken out to cure me.

You what? Have my lung taken out? My lung, taken out? It was an incredulous moment. Looking back on it it reminds me of Peter Kay's story about his Dad finding out about certain foods. Garlic Bread! Bread with garlic. Cheese Cake! Cheeeeese cake; cake with cheeeese! And you want to take me lung out?!?

Well that was the best A1 chance of cure and Dr Newton went on to explain that we don't use our lungs to full capacity anyway and that my other lung would soon compensate.

What a day that was. I rang my wife and then family, friends and colleagues. I certainly learnt about humanity and the subtle difference to responding and reacting to such news. I must say everybody without exception has been marvelous. Back to Homepage

Here is the email I sent to friends and colleagues - I phoned my family!

Sadly I have been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. I have a tumour in my right lung. The ultimate treatment is surgery to remove the cancer and fortunately I am currently in that category. However on Monday I will be having a PET scan which means that I will be pumped up with a radioactive sugar solution and I have to sit still for two hours (I’ll just have to pretend I am driving to Newcastle!). The sugar solution will attach itself to cancerous cells in my entire body should there be any more outside of what is already known in my lung.

There is in fact a chance that this might well be the case as there are some lymph nodes near my lungs that are suspicious. These are a part of one’s drainage system and the cancer could have spread to my liver, kidneys or bones through this. If this has happened then I have to go for chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This will be of cause palliative treatment and will be more of holding back the inevitable treatment rather than a cure.

However my recent CT scan did not show any signs of cancer being else where so that is positive. If my hopes are true then I will be in surgery in February to have my entire cancerous right lung taken out and the lymph nodes if necessary. I will in effect become One Lung Bob. So celebrating having my lung taken out actually is something I am now looking forward to!! Apparently the body produces a jelly like substance to fill the gap – nice!

Obviously this is very serious but I intend to approach it with humour otherwise I will be letting it beat me before I intend to beat it. I just have to accept that it is an episode in my life that I need to fight and win and bounce back from.

As I am sure you can appreciate this has hit Kirstie and I very hard indeed and we will be having to adapt our home / work life. In regards to work I do intend to carry on as best as I can up to the surgery and then I will be “away from the business” for a few weeks. I shall be sorting out my account base with Mark.