Archive for the Cancer Support Category

Why Legacy Is Becoming So Important To Me!

Chris On February 2, 2020 / cancer, cancer awareness, cancer information, cancer side effects., Cancer Support / 8 Comments

Having lived so long beyond my ‘use-by date’ and retained ‘reasonable’ health considering my personal circumstances, even I had again begun to take my health for granted! I am surrounded by chorus’s of “take it easy, slow down, think of your health.” All advice given with every good intention. I know, I say it to others frequently! My body is now needing more physical rest than ever. Not only is it dealing with the cancer and side effects of treatment , but old age, which is something neither me or my medical team were concerned with at the time! Throughout Christmas and January, I have had a virus that despite hospital intervention have struggled to clear. “Unfortunately it will take time Mr Lewis,” is what I hear frequently now, and

2020 Is The Time For Positive Thoughts And Actions!

Chris On January 5, 2020 / cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 2 Comments

Back in 2007 seeing 2010 was a massive ambition! Now I am entering 2020, and it feels good. Not only am I still alive but able to help people across the globe by using my own experience, there are business challenges too! My life is full in a positive way, with plenty to keep me busy and taking time to watch my grandchildren grow up. Although my body is struggling to cope now with some of the long term effects of my treatment, I am extremely grateful for everything I have. Yes I am slowing down and using my experience to work more efficiently. Taking time between tasks to conserve energy, but I understand that my choices are limited. In recent years there has been so much negativity in the

My New Life For Christmas!

Chris On December 15, 2019 / #cancer #hcsm cancer treatment, cancer side effects., Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 6 Comments

For most of us, Christmas is a particularly emotional time. An opportunity to spend time with friends and family and away from work and the things that keep us busy during the year. Personally, I have always used this time for reflection, but since 2007 it has a very special significance. It was then that I received a gift like no other, the gift of life! My stem cell transplant took place on the 19th December and is a time I will never forget. This treatment was my only chance of surviving my cancer, and the cells had been donated by a young man aged 22 from London. No one could say if I would even survive the process let alone continue to live, but I did, and I am! Thanks to all

“There Is Nothing More We Can Do for You!”

Chris On December 8, 2019 / cancer charities, cancer frustration, cancer policy, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 13 Comments

Surviving cancer can frequently feel like you are living with a very fast ticking bomb! Time feels like it is slipping through your fingers and there is just never enough of it. Having said that it also seems that any interventions you need for your disease take far too long. Our perception of time seems to have changed. Since my own diagnosis and life changing experiences, I spend most of my time working in a cancer environment, with either patients or clinicians. Having done this for many years now I find that I am working more frequently in the international arena, which I really enjoy. I have always insisted that large healthcare organisations including charities and pharma just do not move quickly enough to help people such as myself. Of

Cancer Can Also Steal Your Identity!

Chris On November 24, 2019 / cancer frustration, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment, careers cut short by cancer / Leave a comment

Of course we are all unique, but we tend to identify ourselves by what we do for a living, which is simple when you are working but a lot more difficult when you’re not! Before cancer it was easy for me, “I am a business consultant,” I would reply, when asked what I am. Since then I have never been sure what to answer! Once I wasn’t able to work I felt a clear loss of identity, and still do today. Luckily I have never lost my transferable skills and am still able to use them in a different way, by helping people, which is so much more fulfilling. Whilst working I never had to think about what my skills were, as I just got on with things and always

Putting The Can Into Cancer!

Chris On October 27, 2019 / cancer, cancer awareness, cancer publicity, Cancer Support, cancer survival / 5 Comments

In recent weeks I have been extremely busy, doing presentations in the UK and abroad. I have also been privileged to have conversations with many senior people from within the cancer sector talking about the challenges that we face in the near future. Although all I have heard about, are the obstacles to success. Naturally I realised when I came into this work that I was not going to change this sector on my own or as quickly as I would like. But I do feel that I’m now making a positive change as I am receiving very senior invitations across the world to either talk or participate in life changing work. My role is becoming clearer, which is using my business skills to help join up the decision makers

How SimPal Is Changing Lives!

Chris On August 25, 2019 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, cancer publicity, Cancer Support / 2 Comments

Life has been very fast and furious in the last few weeks! So many incredibly positive things happening around me at the moment that it is becoming difficult to take time out to write about them through this blog. In this post I would like to focus on the work that my charity SimPal is doing and the progress we are making across the UK. We are the only charity in the UK giving free pre-paid sim cards and mobile phones, to people affected by cancer, with no means testing and including ‘people affected by cancer’ not just patients! Our offer is to sponsor people for an initial 6 months, which is then reviewed. Once your application has been approved, the card/phone remain yours, at the end of the term.

Macmillan Cancer Support, Are You Listening Yet?

Chris On July 28, 2019 / cancer, cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival / 19 Comments

I have just been sent a copy of the latest set of accounts from Macmillan Cancer Support, the headline being that ‘fundraised income’ dropped from £247.7m in 2017 to £230.8 in 2018. A drop of nearly £17m, which is large in anyone’s book. So finally even the ‘big green corporate beast’ of the cancer world is being impacted by it’s continual practice of wanting to totally dominate the sector, from small groups right up to Government. Doing it’s best to tell us what we want/need, which of course must be right because Macmillan tell us! This organisation has become the darling of the media and politicians. On almost any cancer related issue it seems it is not complete without a quote from their many highly paid ‘media friendly’ team. Macmillan