Archive for the cancer survival Category

Our Cancer Cartel Is Halting Innovation!

Chris On November 11, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 14 Comments

My last few weeks have been spent speaking at numerous events and also dealing with the long list of people who are contacting me with their frustrations of the current cancer system in the country! Personally I have become bored with the lack of interest from the three biggest organisations in this country, who are the ones that people naturally contact when talking about cancer care. It is no surprise to my regular readers that the NHS, Cancer Research and Macmillan Cancer Support are the ‘cartel ‘ that I refer to. Through the frequent conversations I am having about the lack of progress within cancer support in this country, these organisations are at the heart of it. The theme is common, the organisations rarely respond, and if they do, they

The Reality Of Cancer Related Poverty In 2018

Chris On October 28, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 9 Comments

Poverty in the UK in 2018? Of course it exists, and appears to be on the increase from all the signs I see! The gap between rich and poor seems to be growing constantly now. That is a massive issue for us in this day and age, and is something I never believed I would still be seeing as an ageing man. This world is a harsh place when you have no money. I can speak from experience here. As a youngster my father moved out, and left my mother with massive debt. We had debt collectors constantly knocking on the door, and I had to leave school to start earning an income. I was lucky! That experience was positive for me, and I worked night and day after that

Never Lose Faith Or Focus!

Chris On October 14, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 6 Comments

It’s been a few weeks since I have written a new post, so this one will be packed with plenty of goodies for you to enjoy! Writing is probably the favourite part of my work, but I am being pulled more away from that, to do more practical tasks. There is only so much you can put out through your website and social-media until people want to meet you in ‘real life!’ My personal work has reached a crescendo, and I have just returned from speaking in Kuala Lumpur at the World Cancer Congress. Now I am back into face to face meetings for the next couple of weeks. But I am not complaining! Yes, it takes a massive effort to do all these things, especially the travelling and presentations.

Raising Awareness Must Lead To Change!

Chris On September 23, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 6 Comments

I am writing this piece after spending a very sociable evening with the team at Leukaemia Care and Quality Health. We were there to hear the latest patient statistics around blood cancers. After a few slides in, I felt a dramatic case of deja vu! It was as if my life had stood still for eleven years. Early diagnosis, emotional and financial support were the key findings. Exactly as they were when I was going through treatment in 2007. We were also talking about educating GPs to better recognise blood cancers, which I must admit worried me. Although there are some rare ones, I believe I can personally recognise most of the main signs myself! ‘Raising awareness’ are the words I hear most when talking about cancer. From diagnosis, treatment,

Why We Must Put Cancer On The Curriculum!

Chris On September 9, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 2 Comments

As you may know it is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and I am delighted to feature a blog written by a young lady who wanted to tell us about her perspective and why she, like many of us believe that cancer should be a subject which is openly discussed during education. Obviously this is written from the female perspective but I believe it is important for all children to understand more about cancer, which has become the ‘modern day plague.’ “The results are in, and Eve Appeal-commissioned research has found that two thirds of parents want their children to receive a formal education regarding the signs and symptoms of cancer. The majority of participants believed that fostering open, informative conversations about cancer in the classroom could help combat associated stigmas

It’s Time For Some Big Changes!

Chris On September 4, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 2 Comments

Now I know that I am getting old, when I say “where has that time gone?” This blog has been running for more than six years! It doesn’t feel like it as I love writing and sharing experiences, but so much has happened to me in that time. Starting this blog is one of the most life changing things that I have ever done. With encouragement from my mentor, the incredible Christina Lattimer who helped me to create a website with all the techie stuff, we now have an incredible brand known around the world, and is my 24/7 shop window. When I started, I was sceptical as to who wanted to read my work, and was it worth all the effort I put in? I went for neutral colours

A Cancer Conference That’s Fun?

Chris On September 2, 2018 / cancer awareness, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment, Uncategorized / 6 Comments

Attending cancer conferences has become a big part of my life. Usually I am a speaker and rarely attend for the entire conference, but on other occasions I am there as a guest. Hours of watching very clever people reading from a PowerPoint presentation is not my idea of fun. There is only so long you can concentrate on that type of delivery, unless you are fully engaged in the subject. Senior management and clinicians are not always the best people to present as many lack any charisma, and struggle to do their subject justice. Of course cancer is a very difficult subject to talk about, and can be tricky to make it entertaining. I always feel that to make an impact, you really need a good spread of experience

My Story Is All About Hope!

Chris On August 26, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 24 Comments

This year has been an incredible one for me personally. As the cancer support sector in the UK continues to be dominated by the same organisations, who have little to offer other than fundraising challenges, my focus has turned to the global issues of cancer. I have travelled to places where there is a real determination to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. This despite those countries having nothing like the resources we have, but key to that is the will to improve! My story has become a beacon throughout the world, not only for the work I do, but for the hope I give. As most of you know, my health was so poor that I was given only six months to live, and now I am