December 28th 2023.
It was the last day of term at the college where I worked, a beautifully sunny day, and my colleagues were having a barbeque. I was sad to be missing out - the previous day, a nurse had phoned me and invited me to an appointment at the hospital where I’d been seen for a persistent cough.
While I didn’t feel particularly unwell, I just couldn’t shake it. It was chesty and rather noisy, which left me feeling a little embarrassed when I was in public.
The nurse had advised me to bring someone with me, and though I didn’t think it would be anything serious, I took my husband Ben. I never dreamed that the news I was about to receive would change my life forever.
A kind doctor broke the news to me: I had lung cancer. I was shocked - I had never been tempted to smoke even a single cigarette - in fact I’ve always been very anti-smoking. I was that annoying teenager, preaching to my own dad who smoked and spent a lifetime trying to quit.
I cried on hearing the news, but I was also very practical about what this meant and I wanted details of the plan. A close friend of mine who is a doctor had advised me not to eat much before my appointment. That turned out to be good advice, as I wretched when I left the hospital and got to the car. In just a moment, everything had changed.
I thought back to June 2023, when I was a busy mum of four, working as a Further Education Manager, and I couldn’t wait for the summer holidays to spend time with my girls. After a cold spring, the weather was finally warming up and I was looking forward to some long walks through the Cumbrian countryside where we lived, as well as an upcoming two-week holiday in Germany, travelling around by train.
When I developed a cough, I thought it was probably a virus, or maybe an infection of some kind. It wasn’t until a colleague told me to get it checked out that I realised just how long it had been going on for. I knew something wasn’t right, so I called my GP surgery and was referred for a chest X-ray the very next day.
This was, I was to learn later, a tell-tale sign. I know now that a cough that lasts for three weeks or longer could be a sign of lung cancer. That same evening, I went running with a close friend who had recently recovered from breast cancer. She spoke candidly about the importance of being body aware and seeing a GP immediately if something feels off in your body.
Both of their comments stayed with me and the next morning, I called my GP surgery. Thankfully, my lung cancer was caught early. It was at stage 2, which meant I had a high chance of successful treatment.
I had my operation on Thursday 3 August, 2023. It was a success, and I spent the months recovering and building up my strength, stamina and lung capacity. Walking was difficult at first, as I was breathless, but I was very good at doing my breathing exercises and I saw improvements quickly.
Now, four months post-surgery, I can do almost anything that I want: I’m back walking up fells, I’m training to climb the Wainwright Mountains and I’ve just started back doing a Couch to 5k running plan!
The care and love that I felt from everyone around me has been amazing, though. I am so lucky. It is a real positive that I will take away from the experience. I might not fit the ‘typical’ profile for someone with lung cancer, but by sharing my story I hope this shows that it can affect anyone, even a non-smoking, active woman like me.
A cough for three weeks or more could be a sign of cancer. If you notice that yours is lingering on for this time, please contact your GP practice. It’s probably nothing serious, but on the off-chance it is, finding cancer early makes it more treatable - that one appointment might save your life.
I am delighted to be back at work full time in the job that I love, and I feel extremely grateful to my friends for encouraging me to get checked. I’m a huge supporter of NHS England’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ lung cancer campaign to help spread this important message.
I encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of lung cancer and to trust their instinct if something feels off. Visit nhs.uk/cancersymptoms to learn more. If you have a story you’d like to share, get in touch by emailing jess.email. Let us know your views in the comments below.
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