10 years today - I found a lump

10 years ago about this time I was on the train to Cheltenham Festival to meet John Dolan and Hilary Roberts.  I took my seat on the train, put my left arm on the window side and propped my neck up with my left arm and then the next 10 years was set.  My left hand resting on my neck I felt the lump that would change my life.

That lump crafted 8 months of brutal treatment and 9 years of side effects which leaves me less abled on my left side of my neck and partly deaf, but it does not stop me living life.

Cancer has not defined me in the last 10 years, but has given me the opportunity to live my life for me and not for others.  I have refereed 62 rugby matches this season to date, play Touch Rugby, and fitter now than anytime I have been in the last 20 years.

I wrote this blog when I was first diagnosed as I could not speak and felt it important to let others know how the treatment of mouth cancer takes it course.

This blog has helped many coming to terms with head and neck cancer and understand the challenges ahead.

I hope now 10 years on that you realise that Cancer is not a life sentence, but life itself is the sentence whereby we all have to face our own demise sometime in the future.

10 years on I live a healthy life, lots of exercise, support and sometimes a bit of challenges because of my lack of a proper neck and muscle structure, but head and cancer can be a challenge that you overcome and live a happy content life ten years after finding that dreaded lump.

So if you are reading this on the start of your cancer journey fear not it is part of the roller coaster of life.

Keep attacking.