Paul Middleton – My Cancer Journey

Always, always get a second opinion, when you get diagnosed with cancer.

Back in 2017 I was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer, to cut a long story short, that was sorted after surgery. However in 2021, it came back on my liver and I discovered I had seven tumours on my liver.

I initially was told I could not have surgery and was given the option of further chemo. They also looked at SABR treatment to try and target the main large tumour I had across the centre of my liver, which was in-operable due to the location and size. However my oncologist rejected this SABR as it was deemed too risky due to proximity to other areas of my body etc. This left me with only chemo option and not a great outcome. I remember coming home and saying to Amanda, my beautiful wife, is this the end, I thought I was going to die soon.

Shortly after the shock, I picked up a book about a man called Ronald Morgan, who is an author and traveller, Ron also had a background in the travel industry, just like me, so this is what attracted me to reading his book, “Morgan The Travel.

In the books opening chapter, Ron went onto say he had suffered from bowel cancer, now in his 8th year, he was also told, his liver tumour was in-operable and there was nothing more they could do for him. Ron and his wife Dianne, did not want to accept this of course, just like me, so they did some research and came across a surgeon called Mr Robert Sutcliffe. Ron went onto have surgery and is still with us and as he says is still “dancing with cancer”.

Reading that book led me to contacting another surgeon, Robert Sutcliffe and in turn, led me to changing my Oncologist and it turned out I had further options. My new Oncologist recommended a further dose of chemo to reduce the size of the tumour and then gave me SBTR treatment which has so far, sorted my main tumour, meaning its inactive and has been for a number of months.

Thank god I read that book, which ended up also an amazing read if anyone is into travelling, Ron, an amazing positive and determined adventurer.

So, if you are in a similar position, my advice regardless, get a second or third opinion, its your life and you only get one chance so its worth it.

I would like to thank Ronald as I had not come across his book, my cancer journey may not have been a good outcome!

Was it fate that I read that book or just good luck, either way, I am still alive and like Ron says, dancing with cancer.