Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
Bev pictured on the left next to her best friend Melanie on the right
Read Bev’s inspiring account of her lung cancer diagnosis, recovery from surgery, and her return to normal life.
At 62, I never anticipated being diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a complete shock, I had no symptoms and truly believed I was perfectly fine. I began smoking at 16, and my mother passed away from lung cancer seven years ago. When I received the news about my diagnosis, my thoughts spiralled into a dark place. Even now, it’s hard to comprehend, everything happened so quickly.
Without the unwavering support of my best friend Melanie, who has been my rock during this time, I might not be here to see my daughter and granddaughter grow up. Melanie noticed I had received a letter for lung cancer screening, which I had carelessly set aside. She took charge and urged me to call for my telephone assessment, I was invited for a CT scan at a mobile unit located in my local supermarket car park. I got my results just four days after my CT scan, and then my surgery followed just ten days later, it just goes to show how quickly life can change in a matter of weeks.
Initially, the Consultant mentioned that further treatment might be necessary post-surgery. However, believe it or not, just four weeks after my operation, I returned to work without any additional treatment only a follow-up x-ray over the next five years is needed, this was well worth celebrating!
I absolutely love my job, so getting back so quickly was a relief! With the help of local stop-smoking support, I quit smoking the moment I got my results. Although I experimented with patches and vapes, ultimately I chose to go cold turkey and I’m proud to say I’m still a nonsmoker today.
I’ve always valued my family and friends who stood by me during my diagnosis, and now I treasure them even more. The entire experience has been a whirlwind, but I’m immensely grateful for the care provided by the staff at the cancer unit and hospital, they were incredibly attentive. We shared some laughs along the way that brought me comfort, the setup they have is amazing! I can’t recommend it enough, it truly saved my life, and for that, I’ll be eternally thankful.
For more information on Lung Cancer Screening in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire please visit: www.nottslungcancerscreening.nhs.uk
