I was anemic, suffered from dizzy spells, lost some weight and had a persistent cough. All this led to the eventual discovery of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

When I found out I had cancer, I was really frightened and worried.

I opted for the following treatments, based on my doctor’s recommendation:

• Lobectomy (Removal of entire lobe)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy

I first went for surgery, then some adjuvant chemo. After a year I had a recurrence in one of my lymph nodes, after which I had radiation and chemo. However, I had to stop the immunotherapy as it went into overdrive and I had a very bad reaction. I also took some steroids and anti sickness tablets. I was declared cancer-free in May 2024.

Deciding on my treatment plan left me fearful – just feeling really anxious and feeling the sword of Damocles over my head. But thankfully I live in the United Kingdom (UK), so my treatment costs are covered by the NHS.

I tried to do everything the doctors suggested, so I was very compliant with recommended medical advice related to the following:

• Alcohol intake
• Exercise frequency
• Nutrition/diet
• Smoking frequency

But my smoking habits changed most drastically after treatment. In fact, I gave up smoking and now walk 10000 steps daily. Other than that, I haven't really made any plans.

Having a support group of like-minded people was particularly helpful during my own cancer journey. How kind and supportive nursing staff were, and the kindness of strangers – those were unexpected too.

I struggle with my social life and relationships with loved ones, but difficulties in my self-esteem and self-image impacted me the most. Getting through it is still a work-in-progress but hopefully we will get there.

To me, the most challenging part of being a cancer survivor has been the worry of recurrence. I seem to be constantly in flight or fight mode. I thought I would be overjoyed to be cancer-free but it's not really like that. Every cough, every ache or pain takes on extra significance.

My greatest fear is recurrence. My physical health didn't suffer as much as my mental health. I didn’t overcome this, but I found something as simple as walking in the woods with my dog restorative.

I still feel fearful today. Even though i got a NED following my last scan, all I can think of is recurrence.

When going for chemo, make sure you bring plenty of reading material, snacks and plenty of water.

Cancer affects everyone differently but that horrible moment when they said to me ‘you have lung cancer’, my first question was ‘how long have I got’. But it's just not like that. Nowadays there are a lot of treatments out there and I'm living proof you can beat this. I'm not saying it is easy but put your trust in the doctors and scientists and never give up.