As a number of people will be aware, I have been diagnosed with Kidney Cancer twice since 2016 and beaten it on both occasions. I am currently in Long term remission.
On my second diagnosis I was advised there is no form of Government funded treatment and I was therefore classed as incurable.
Fortunately, I was referred to The Christie in Manchester and thankfully I was eligible and suitable for a treatment called Interlukin-2 (IL-2), which is an intense form of Immunotherapy and involves a number of inpatient stays in hospital. IL-2 is funded by the Christie Charity and thankfully for me it worked. I will be forever grateful for the Christie for the treatment and the care I received from the staff at such a wonderful hospital.
When I was diagnosed for a second time, I found Kidney Cancer Support Network (KCSN), a charity run by patients for patients. The support I had from this group (mainly on their closed Facebook page) was nothing short of phenomenal. When diagnosed with Cancer you often forget a lot of what Medical professionals tell you and whilst they are the ones in the know medically, they do not know what it is like to be in that situation personally.
The help I got from other patients will never be forgotten, I now help administer the Facebook group and do anything I can to help the charity.
I am 40 years old this year and I have decided to undertake a charity challenge that is way out of my comfort zone. I need to lose weight and get healthier to take advantage of the second chance of life I have been given and I will do this by undertaking 40 days of consecutive exercise leading up to the day before my 40th birthday.
I therefore will donate 50% of any proceeds to The Christie and 50% to Kidney Cancer Support Network - KCSN.
