Lung cancer champion
If you notice something isn’t right, get it checked out. You’re not bulletproof.
Terry’s story
Before Terry was diagnosed with lung cancer, he was a pensioner and loving every minute of it. He was about to set off on his next adventure and had the caravan packed, fueled and ready to go when he dropped by his local GP to get his regular scripts filled. He’d been experiencing chest pain for a while and when his GP asked about it, Terry was prescribed heart burn tablets to ease the pain.
When the pain didn’t subside, Terry’s GP sent him for a CAT scan in Northam in June 2018. Cancer was found in a couple of lymph glands and a lump was found in his left lung.
Terry then traveled 90km to Perth for 6 weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, staying at Cancer Council WA’s Milroy Lodge. He credits the hospital and lodge staff for getting him through this journey.
These days Terry is very conscious of environmental carcinogens. If he goes out in the afternoon sun, he needs to have a ‘bloody good reason’ to.
Terry’s advice
‘If you think there might be something wrong, get it checked out because you have to live in your body’.
‘Never smoke. It was part of our culture in those days. These days’ people catch up over a cup of coffee, in our day it was a cigarette’.
Information for smokers
If you’re thinking of quitting smoking visit the Make Smoking History website to find information about ways to quit, how to stay quit and real quitting stories from smokers.
Ready to quit now? Download the free My Quit Buddy app today! The app will help you through your cravings and inform you of all the health and financial benefits you’re receiving every day you stay quit. It also has a forum so you can chat to other people who are quitting and you can store photos and recordings of loved ones to motivate you along the way.
