My cancer journey.
In 2015, my wife and I travelled to Majorca to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. It should have been a time of relaxation and reflection on four decades together.
Instead, it became the start of a journey I never saw coming.
During the holiday, I suffered a serious episode of angina and was admitted to a coronary care unit, where I spent ten days before being airlifted back to the UK. While investigating my heart condition, doctors discovered three plasmacytomas in my chest. Until that moment, I had no idea they were there.
I had no pain. No symptoms. No warning signs.
The diagnosis was myeloma.
Over the following six months, I underwent chemotherapy. In 2016, I also had three coronary stents fitted. It was a challenging period, but thanks to excellent medical care, the support of family and friends, and a determination to keep moving forward, I came through it.
Then came something I will always be grateful for: eight years of remission.
Life returned to normal. Work, family, travel, and all the ordinary moments that we often take for granted.
Earlier this year, however, my blood markers began to rise. A CT scan in May revealed new plasmacytomas in my right femur and kidney.
Once again, I am facing six months of chemotherapy.
And once again, I have no pain. No symptoms. If it were not for routine monitoring, I would not know the disease had returned.
Cancer is often portrayed as a battle fought in dramatic moments. My experience has been different. It has been about adapting to uncertainty, appreciating the importance of regular health checks, and learning never to take good health for granted.
I share this not for sympathy, but as a reminder that many people around us may be carrying challenges that are completely invisible.
As I begin the next stage of treatment, I remain optimistic, grateful for modern medicine, and thankful for the unwavering support of my wife, family, friends, and healthcare teams.
The journey continues.
