Graham's Story - Cancer x2

Hey Graham, could you give us a Give us your name and your current diagnosis. Uh, my name is Graham Wilkinson. I've got um two forms of cancer, prostate cancer, which I'm just waiting for the day that I'll have my prostate removed because the cancer has now spread to the prostate, so. I could have either picked um removal or radiotherapy, and they recommended removal on what I want anyway, so I'm waiting for the day for that

The other cancer I've got is, uh, well, sorry, I've had prostate cancer for about 6 years. The cancer I've got is just cancer. I got diagnosed with that 4 years ago

Um, I was taken ill, thought I had the flu, then after 2 days in bed, uh, I went to use the toilet and passed a load of blood. Long story short, I ended up rushed to the hospital. I had a 22

5 centimetre tumour in the abdomen. It was attached to all the organs. Um, touch and go, there are two buckets of gas in it, he said of the gas base you pass away

Um, you might not make it in the operation. They didn't want to operate, but if they didn't, I would have died. It's 50/50 and luckily the surgeon was amazing and

Performed the operation. I survived that was 4 years, just over 4 years ago, um, but because it had grown so big and it was touching all my organs, it had spread. So I've got uh cancer cells in my liver, kidneys in battle

So currently as it stands right now, Graham. OK, you did tell me that you're looking to have, you, you're waiting for the surgery to, to have your prostate removed. How about, how about is the overall picture

Kind of sustainable or did it, what what's your, what's your prognosis, it's, it's OK with my prostate, um, but with the just cancer, um, the medication monitor for my chemo, the tablet at night, that only works for so long. But what timescale that is, I was told on average 3 years, but I know people who've been on the drug for 20 years, but then there's still, if that drug fails, there's 2 other drugs that they can go on to in succession after that. Um, the only difference is the side effects get worse, um, but that will come to it

So Graham, part of this, well, the whole point of this project is to get people's experience with cancer services, hospital, oncology, all that sort of stuff. Um, could you give us your experience of maybe you did mention that you thought the surgeon was, was, was great. Can you give us maybe what you thought was good and then maybe some areas that weren't so good, areas that That we could try and convey to the decision makers that we could do better, I think

99% of what I've gone through, everybody's been amazing. Um, staff have been amazing. When I was in hospital for a while after my surgery, there was probably one issue I had with one there, but all people are different, so I've, I've got no real issues that side of things

The only main issue I have is before I was taking over the dis cancer, I stated I already knew I had prostate cancer, but I was told it was only small, um. for 2 years before I found out I had a tumour, I've been going um to the doctor's told my um black stools, and they said they must be bleeding some from somewhere, but camera up, calm her down. I'd had that done and they couldn't find anything, so they said, is there any anaemia in your family? I said, well, my mother was anaemic, so they said, Oh, you must be anaemic as well, so they put me on iron tablets

So I was on iron tablets for 2 years, and then I ended up going in with this tumour. If I feel if I'd have, somebody would have sent me for a a CT scan, they would have noticed it sooner. The tumour would have been smaller, wouldn't have been

Touching all my organs, going in between my organs, and therefore there's less chance of it spreading because it took so long to be diagnosed. That's why now I'm on chemo till it doesn't work, um. And initially after my operation, my wife was very angry about that

She even went to to look at some of the NHS, but we had a discussion about it and we said, you know, it's happened. I don't think it's going to change anything. Let's just leave it

And the anger's gone, but every so often I think. What if I'd have had a CT scan and they'd have found it when it was small because I'm I'm on a chat group on Facebook and people have got just most of them seem to get found when it's 1 or 2 centimetres. You take the drug I'm on called a Natinib, that shrinks it

You then have it removed and if it hasn't spread to any organs, they're fine, but obviously mine grew too big. So that is the, is the issue for me. I just wish, I just feel everything comes down to money

I just wish, if they can't find what they're looking for, just dig dig a bit deeper. If you just sent me for a CT scan, I don't think I'd have a terminal prognosis. So you think it is, it came down to the issue of money

I could be wrong, but that's what I was impression that was my impression, yeah. I've always felt that with the NHS. Once you get to a certain point, I think they'll throw everything at it, but it's just getting that diagnosis like when I, when I first went to doctors with a bad back, I'm, I'm an ex-soldier, ex-firefighter, and I remember the GP saying, and I was, I was only about 38, 40, and the GP saying, Well, it's weird and tear, you've got to expect it, but no real work was done when

I know that I know carrying all the weight because I was in the infantry will have done damage to my knees and my back, but I've got friends who were in the military and they've been to their GPs and they've sent them off for scans and and then they've looked into, you know, what's wrong with the back, so I've had an operation, whereas now my back goes every now and then and I'm basically disabled for a couple of weeks, whereas if that had been dealt with, I think when I was about 38 when I first went to doctors with me, that might be OK now. And I, you know, I, I know the money's limited, but I just think also if you can nip things in the bud early on, it saves money in the long run. The cancer, the chemo drug one costs thousands

So if they'd have found that that tumour when it was small and buy a CT scan, they may not have done, but I think they would have. But if they'd have done that, it would save them a fortune. So, so, so taking those stories together, do you think it is on the whole GP's reluctance there, I don't understand how all the budgeting works and who gets what and so forth and so forth, but do you think it's the GP's reluctance to to push further with with the investigation

When I'd had camera up, camera down a couple of times, and then it was mentioned at one point that I'd never had my small bowel valve checked, so they'll do that with a camera, camera bill. This was, this was 4 years ago before they took it. And I was on a waiting list for that, and it went on and on and on, and then I was ill and then they found out this tumour and I was actually, I've been in hospital for a month

I was at home. Uh, recovered in a home and my telephone rings and it was Sheffield. I will believe you're waiting to have the camera pulled down and I said well, it's a bit late now because I've had most of my s removed

You know, it's just things like that. No, I just think If you threw a bit more money at it at the beginning, you know, it might not cost as much as leaving it. Well, that's that's going to be one of my sort of

Like I say, platform is about the whole thing with rusty because I had to push for mine and because I was I guess 63, what do you call that relatively but certainly over the typical limit that they say, but I was fairly fit and I had no symptoms. Therefore, I was almost discouraged from going with the Physical exam as well as the What under the under the umbrella that's if it showed something that then going to the next step is uncomfortable and da da da da and it may then it may all be for naught. However, I'm glad I did push

Otherwise, if I would have waited a year or two, then it may be. And that's what I say to my friends now. I try to go to for a prostate exam, but I'll say if they ever think that you may have cancer and you have a camera or camera down and they don't find anything, push for the CT scan

Don't don't let them say no. So I guess, I guess one thing is you know your body the best and. Thanks

OK, Graham, thank you very much for your time and your candidness, and I do hope you'll be on the 30 year end of this of this drug. OK, thank you very much.