In April 2023, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The good news was that 98% of men survive their diagnosis. The bad news was… the diagnosis was wrong. I was told that I could have as little as two months to live. I was 42 years old. I was a husband and a father. Now, after more than two years of living with cancer, I’m not just surviving, I’m thriving, and I want to help others like me meet the challenges of cancer head on and live well every day. This is my journey into cancer.

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My Latest Posts

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  • Chapter Twenty Seven: Stuck in the middle
    It’s been a tumultuous time since leaving hospital, as I grapple with steroid side-effects, fluctuating moods, and sleep disruptions. Acceptance and trust in myself remain key.
  • Chapter Twenty Six: Back inside
    Living with cancer is a non-stop and challenging experience as shown by my recent hospital stay. Despite setbacks though, I remain hopeful for recovery and learning from the journey.
  • Chapter Twenty Five: 876 Days Later
    Despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer two years ago, I’m full of gratitude and manage to live in the present, while remaining hopeful for the future despite constant struggles.
  • Chapter Twenty Four: All I Need is a Miracle
    There are a lot of misconceptions around cancer diets, and while I haven’t found a miracle food, I do believe it’s importat to prioritise whole, natural foods and nutrition.
  • Chapter Twenty Three: A series of unpleasant events – Part Two
    A big part of living with a terminal illness is constantly having to adapt to life’s changes when faced with negative emotions, and accepting challenges while maintaining hope for the future.
  • Chapter Twenty Two; A series of unpleasant events – Part One
    Despite the ongoing challenges of living with cancer, and facing severe side-effects and uncertainties about the future, it’s important to live and authentic life and find joy in experiences.
  • Chapter Twenty One: The courage to be vulnerable
    After two years battling cancer, I’ve accepted the unpredictability of my disease as well as my vulnerabilities. Rather than being a weakness, it’s helped me face recent challenges with courage.
  • Chapter Twenty: Once upon a fairytale
    Hearing that I was going to die of cancer wasn’t exactly the fairy tale ending I had hoped for, and yet, slowly, I started to find hope, even when it seemed like there was none.
  • Chapter Nineteen; The possibility of a happy ending
    Learn how to distinguish between realistic hope and wishful thinking and the story of how I came to embrace life, despite a terminal cancer diagnosis, creating lasting memories with my family.
  • Chapter Eighteen: When skies are grey, hope is the way
    I’ve come to embrace living with cancer. Not because I found a miracle cure, but because I learned how to remain hopeful, choosing to focus on the present and cherish the everyday joys.
  • Chapter Seventeen: Is natural always better – or safe
    Hearing that there was no cure for my cancer was devastating and so it’s only natural that I would look at what alternative are out there. Natural doesn’t necessarily mean safer though, or better.
  • Chapter Sixteen: Family Fortunes – Part. 2
    Genetic specialists estimate that up to 12 in every 100 cancers (up to 12%) diagnosed are linked to an inherited gene change. Could that be the cause of my cancer?
  • Chapter Fifteen: Family Fortunes – Part. 1
    Between 30–50% of all cancer cases are preventable, which means that prevention still offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer.
  • Chapter Fourteen: Using diet to fight cancer
    Studies suggest that plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers compared to diets that include meat.
  • Chapter Nine: Surviving Chemotherapy – Part Two
    The unlikely story of how a sinister blistering agent used during World War II would develop into one of the most important advancements in cancer treatment that has saved over 1,000,000 lives in the UK alone.
  • Chapter Eight: Surviving Chemotherapy – Part One
    You can’t scare me, I’ve had chemo! Cancer treatment had me feeling like a skeleton, and yet, I survived it. And you can too with these practical tips.
  • Remembering Wendy Marsden
    After learning she had an incurable brain tumour, Wendy Marsden said she wanted memories of her to be happy ones. Now, two months after her death, husband Ian agreed to tell her unique story in his own words.
  • Chapter Thirteen: Eating well when you have cancer
    It would be great if there was a miracle one-size-fits-all diet that could cure any cancer in weeks but, if that sounds unrealistic, it’s because it is.
  • Chapter Twelve: The great cancer conspiracy
    In 1971, President Nixon declared ‘war on cancer’. 55 years later, we’re still fighting, and the debate over alternative or conventional therapies hotter than ever.
  • Celebrating inspiring women on IWD25
    “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” Coco Chanel
  • Can OTC medicines be helpful in fighting cancer?
    Wouldn’t it be great if you could pop into your local chemist and buy medication that is actually going to help you fight cancer.
  • Can Pancake Day have a sweet ending?
    There are lots of foods not to eat when you have cancer or you’re having cancer treatment – But are pancakes one of them? The Anglo-Saxons certainly thought so.
  • Chapter Eleven: Life’s for the living
    I’ve spent almost two years researching prevention, treatment and survival to determine how to live well with cancer. None of matters though if you can’t be honest with yourself.
  • Three Month Cancer Check up – February 2025
    I have a scan every three months to check for and new tumours or cancer growth. The results of the scan could be the difference between life and death.
  • Chapter Ten: Living Your Best Life with Cancer
    Are you ready to take your first steps towards living your best life? Making small changes could help you feel more positive and get the most out of life.
  • Chapter Seven: There’s a hole in my bucket (list) – Part Two
    Part of the time I was focused on moving forward and coping. The rest of the time I was focusing on the loss of a life that I wouldn’t get to live.
  • February is oesophageal cancer awareness month.
    Over 9,000 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year, and there aren’t any five year survival stats for people like me because patients don’t tend to live that long!
  • Cancer and Coffee
    Coffee is more than just a drink to me. It’s a thing of personal indulgence; something to take me away from living with cancer. And it’s good for me too.
  • Cancer and Intimacy
    How to celebrate Valentine’s Day if cancer has you feeling less than sexy.
  • Chapter Six: There’s a hole in my bucket (list) – Part One
    You can live your best life with cancer. At some point this disease is going to get me, but until it does I’m just determined to live the best life I can.
  • Chapter Five: In memory of Chris Hindle
    Sometimes, you come across someone who is so inspirational that they instantly make you a better person. One such person is Chris Hindle. This is his story.
  • Chapter Four: Die with your boots on
    One thing stood out on the consent form more than anything else. The intended benefit of the chemotherapy was not to cure. There was no cure.
  • Chapter Three: Cancer of unknown origin
    In April 2023 I was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer. The good news was 98% of men survive their disease. The bad news was… the diagnosis was wrong.
  • Chapter Two: In my time of dying
    Not everyone will survive their cancer and hearing that I was going to die was devastating. Almost two years later I’m not just surviving, I’m thriving.
  • Start Here: First Reactions
    I was 42 years old and a husband and a father when I was told that I had cancer. Three months later, I was told that I was going to die. This is my story.

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