"Treated with love and compassion"

I’m an ex Royal Navy clearance diver, 67 years old and I’ve never been sick, never had an operation, only see a doctor to have my yearly medical to work in the oil and gas industry which I worked in for over 30 years.

I signed up to complete the stool sample checks completed by the NHS a few years back when I was 60. Just before Xmas 2023 my sample came back and the team at Boston needed to check me over at the endoscopy unit. I had zero symptoms.

I was told then that I had a cancer tumour  in my bowel, my cancer treatment and the long road ahead was about to commence.

After CT/MRI scans at Boston I soon started my chemo/radio therapy every day under Prash and his wonderful oncology team at Lincoln Hospital every weekday for 6 weeks. I was to take chemo tablets 10 every day and night, 250 in total and my radio treatment. After my treatment the team leave you to rest for 6 weeks although my team kept a close check on me with phone calls from Prash and Mel my Macmillan super star nurse.

My next stage soon came around with more CT/MRI scans which showed that Prash and his team could not see any tumour, so I was asked to go to Lincoln for a PET scan with a radioactive background which lights up basically any cancer cells. This proved that my treatment had got rid of my cancer.

I was then asked to see Glen my guy at Boston, super guy very professional, for another endoscopy camera to look and see. The camera could see zero tumour so Glen took x2 biopsy’s which came back zero cancer cells in less than 5 days. Quick work by the testing team.

Today I’ve been into Boston to see the surgical team led by Mr Rao and Sister Sally and have been told that my team will scan me every 3 months with MRI/CT scans and also see Glen for camera checks. I’ve also been asked that I can go on the list for the study of people in the UK who the treatment works 100% and do not require surgery or a stoma bag.

So if you are reading this letter, if you have just been given the devastating news of cancer there is hope for us all. Be strong and face your fears, the most wonderful guys at the NHS will treat you with love and compassion . They are the best caring staff you could ever wish for. I have far too many names to write down but thank you all very much.

So Prash, Mel, Elaine, at the Ingram ward Lincoln, just a big thank you.