But the Pain Changed

I think we all know that.

But if you get a pain that you cannot explain, what do you do?

I got cancer 17 months ago, tumor in leg, had operations, chemo and radiation. Everyone said "it's gone now, you can get back to your life". So I did, I started to forget the horrible time I had with chemo and radiation, I began to see my life open up again in front of me. For so long it had seemed like life was over for me. But I began to get back to work, I started to enjoy life again.

But once you have cancer your life changes, even when the cancer is gone and your terrible treatments are over, you still have to go back for scans to see if it is back, you have to wait for weeks to get the results. It hangs over us, all of us, me, my wife, my two girls. Until we go and see the consultant and hear the words "All Clear", we are on edge. Then we go away happy, for another 3 months.

Recently, I had a pain in my neck, an ache, the shoulders hurt a bit, then I began to get a tingly sensation in my left hand, then my arm began to ache. So I went back to the oncology ward and got more scans, x-ray's, mri. But everything came back clear. Until yesterday, I went into hospital to be told that a tumor is growing in my neck, it is already 3cm X 5cm and is pressing down on my nerves, blood flow and return to my left arm.

So what is my point? Well, quite frankly, it is only because I am a cancer patient that this tumor was found quite quickly. My surgeon said that if I had not had cancer before it would not have been found until it was too late.

So if you get a strange pain, or change in your body, if you know what I mean. Go to your doctor, get it checked out, if things do not improve go back to your doctor.

I used to be the type of fool who usually lets things go on for too long before going to the doctor. Not any more! Life is too short!

Cancer is getting bigger and bigger, people are getting it younger and younger, I am 42, not that young, but I feel it is too young for cancer.

VISIT YOUR DOCTOR WHEN YOU FEEL THE PAIN