Chris's Cancer Community

Lack Of Action On ‘Cancer Poverty’ Is A National Disgrace!!

Chris On January 13, 2019 / cancer awareness, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / Leave a comment

The worrying thing for me is that I wrote the below piece more than TWO YEARS ago! As with most things in this sector, the situation is getting much worse! Many more millions of pounds have come and gone. Several campaigns, but yet MORE people living in poverty because of their illness. This is an absolute disgrace and is yet another reason why the cancer support area must see radical change! We can no longer wait, for yet more discussions, this is reality! You will see at the end of this piece our recent article featuring simPal work featured on the BBC National news! “With my charity work increasing rapidly now, I have had so many conversations with both patients and health professionals about the issues during and after cancer

“While You See A Chance, Take It!”

Chris On January 1, 2019 / cancer awareness, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 6 Comments

Is it because I am getting older, or busier, maybe a combination of the two? But here I am again looking at what happened in 2018, and thinking about what I want to do in 2019! Time for a bit of personal stock taking. When you have unreliable health you will know how difficult it is to make any plan, so for me it is important to prioritise my time to ensure that not a minute gets wasted. I have always been a person to take a chance when it comes my way, and as time passes, living with this disease has made me more empowered. Due to taking opportunities, many against my wife and medical team’s advice this year, I have done the #1 on my bucket list and

Why I Will Increase My Cancer ‘Disruption’ In 2019!

Chris On December 16, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 9 Comments

Many people ask me why I call myself a disruptor, they think it is some fancy title, but here is the definition that describes it most appropriately. ‘Your idea far exceeds the status quo. You don’t just want to see your business model become a reality, you want it to become the new standard. You don’t just want your product idea to make it to market, you want to see it change the world. Unlike other people in your industry, you don’t want to settle for adjusting to changes, you want to be that change. In other words, you want to be so innovative, you will transform what the rest of the world accepts as normal. You are an entrepreneur, but you aren’t just building a business or a product;

“You Have More Influence Than Us Mr Lewis!”

Chris On November 25, 2018 / cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment / 4 Comments

During the last few weeks it has been incredibly busy with a rush to finalise some plans and partnerships for 2019. Both for simPal and my personal work things are accelerating, with many projects being discussed for the coming year. Social-media of course needs constant updating so my mind is staying continually active. My own campaigning has been in the public eye for more than seven years and there are times when I wonder if I have reached my ‘sell-by date!’ I am aware that our needs are changing rapidly, but I am moving very quickly into the tech areas, which is helping share my cancer work with people who up to now were not aware of it. Fresh ways of communication and exciting new doors opening because of it.

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,