Adam, 52, has been living with thyroid cancer and its affects for the past 10 years. Adam, from Market Drayton, was diagnosed with stage three thyroid cancer following two years of tests. After numerous operations he is now being treated with chemotherapy tablets and making the most of every day.
Adam, 52, has been living with thyroid cancer and its affects for the past 10 years. He was diagnosed with stage three thyroid cancer following two years of tests. Unfortunately for Adam the majority of his treatment took place during Covid times but he found the strength to keep going, and would encourage other people to take advantage of any services and support available – particularly those offered by Lingen Davies.
Adam’s symptoms started in 2015 when he began to feel hot and cold and unwell. He visited his GP and started having a lot of tests, starting with blood tests.
“They couldn’t work out what it was. My thyroid levels were very high – sky-high. The tests went on for a long time because they couldn’t work it out. I was referred to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital and was between the two for tests – eventually ending up at oncology,” said Adam.
Things took a turn
Things took a turn when Adam became ill while he was working.
“My boss told me I was looking like a pale, white sheet. I felt fine but I was sweating profusely. I managed to book an emergency late appointment that day to see my GP. He checked my heart and blood pressure and temperature and said I needed to be blue lighted to hospital. I had a lump on my neck at the time and no one knew what it was,” he said.
Adam was in hospital for about a week and had many more tests. His thyroid, blood pressure and temperature were “through the roof.”
Adam felt very anxious as he was on his own. When he had been in hospital for around four days a Doctor told him the lump in his neck was cancer.
“I just went white. The whole world I had at that time was just gone. This was on January 5, 2017. I had spent a year having tests and scans no one could tell me what was wrong,” said Adam.
Adam was referred to specialists in Telford and Shrewsbury and was told he would need his thyroid operated on.
The first operation was to remove the left-hand side thyroid. He was then told the results had come back as cancerous and it was thyroid cancer. In between that operation and the next a month later he found out it was stage three cancer. A month later Adam had the right-hand side of his thyroid removed at another operation in Telford just to make sure the cancer was removed.
He said he just didn’t know how to feel after the operations, and he had no idea what the prognosis would be.
“You know what is wrong, but you don’t know what the outcomes will be,” he said. “The right was non-cancerous, and I was told I would need to take Levothyroxine every day for the rest of my life. The Doctors didn’t know at the time if I would need more treatment.
“I was moved to Macmillan in Telford and was given a lot of information which was very overwhelming. I was on my own dealing with the worst possible news I could have at that time. It seemed like no one knew what to do,” he added.
During 2017 to 2018 Adam underwent a lot more tests, scans, and blood tests. He was moved to Stoke as the oncology unit was more specialist. Up until 2018/19 Adam was still working but was told he had to have a bi-lateral neck dissection – an operation where the neck is cut is cut from ear to ear – because the scans revealed small amounts of the cancerous thyroid tissue had spread into his neck.
Adam had a month off work to recover and when he went back, he only managed three days as his whole body was in panic.
“I sat down with my boss, and they said my body was trying to tell me something, so I just had to stop. I was just recovering, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy were both mentioned. I was put on radioactive iodine and had seven courses over three days every few months, which they hoped would kill it off at Stoke hospital.”
Adam underwent a series of injections, operations and further tests over the next few years. He had to have more surgery to his neck, and lymph node removal.
“After the operation, I woke up and saw my surgeon and my first words were ‘did you get it?” and he said yes. The cancer had been in my neck, collar bone, round my collar bone and arm joints and in my left armpit. They thought they had got it all out,” he added.
Adam underwent the majority of his treatment during Covid which took its toll.
“I should have had physiotherapy and care but because it was covid things were more difficult,” he said.
He had to visit his GP multiple times every day to have his bandages changed and thanks his friends and GP for getting him through a tough time.
“If it wasn’t for my friend and the GPs I visited each day I wouldn’t have had the strength to carry on. I went through a real low point. I had constant pain in my arm and shoulder 24-7 and it just didn’t go. I had to learn how to dress myself and wash myself with one arm, as well as have injections into my shoulder to combat the pain.
“I am still having problems with my arm to this day.”
Ultimately Adam was told his cancer was incurable, scans showed it had returned to his neck, shoulder and arm. Through discussions with his consultant he decided not to have any further surgery and decided on chemotherapy. He was given a tablet drug which he has taken for two and half years and that caused many different side-effects.
Adam is still on the drug now and the side effects have improved, although he has ongoing mental health concerns that he seeks support from a therapist for. He says his life and health has felt like a ‘revolving door’ for years. He must take 10 tablets a day and will do for the rest of his life.
“I have blood tests every four weeks and so far, these are all ok. The thyroid issue is being monitored and everything is in the realms of OK. I have learned to live with my condition. It has made me a hell of a lot tougher. I try and plan things a bit more and am trying to be more positive and enjoy life with the flexibility I now have. I would like to work but I can’t really. The more I keep plodding on I am just happy I am doing that at the moment, that I am still here and still going,” he added.
Adam has lived through times when his prognosis has been very poor, and he was isolated because of illness and Covid.
“But now I don’t feel isolated. I lost my mum to cancer in 2012 and she was treated at Lingen Davies Cancer Centre. I have used as many of the services that are provided by the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund charity as I can. I have been to the head and neck cancer meetings at the Hamar Centre. It was quite helpful to be with other people who had had cancer.
“I have also used the Lingen Davies funded services of EL Beauty, getting massages to help his shoulder and treatments to try and reduce his scarring which helped. I would encourage anyone going through cancer to use these services and get as much as much support as they can. And visit your Doctor if you aren’t well and keep going,” he added.