In 2017, Brian (not his real name) was burning the candle at both ends. He felt so tired and achy all the time, and he stopped exercising because he didn’t have the energy.
Two weeks earlier, he had been running up a hill in Gasing Heights. Now he couldn’t walk up more than a flight of stairs without feeling faint.
When he began to experience pains in his chest, he went to his doctor and got a chest x-ray. He was told to seek treatment immediately as the results showed his entire lung was white.
The doctor performed a blood test that did not suggest any infection, and referred Brian to a lung specialist for a CT scan. Brian ended up staying in the hospital for several days for a series of tests, including having 2l of fluid drained from his left chest cavity, and a lung biopsy.
His chest tube was eventually removed and he started chemotherapy the day before his 31st birthday.
People with lung cancer usually have risk factors such as having smoked for many years, worked in an asbestos factory, or been exposed to certain chemicals. Brian, however, was an otherwise healthy non-smoking male, who ate well and exercised regularly.
Was this mutation of lung cells due to some sort of damage? Was it due to pneumonia scarring as a kid, pollution, or something he had consumed? No one will ever know.
Luckily, Brian had a lot of fight in him and responded well to chemo. The cancer gradually responded by shrinking.
He later decided to switch to an oral treatment, which saved his life by blocking the cancer cells from multiplying. If he had suffered this disease 10 years earlier, he would not have had this option and might not be alive today.
Brian hasn’t had any tumour growth since 2019, and he goes in for scans on a regular basis. Every time he has an ache or pain, he worries the cancer is coming back.
He says survivors have to keep moving and stretching; simply walking or going for a swim can do wonders. He is sure he will be dealing with tiredness for the rest of his life, but this doesn’t stop him from doing what he enjoys.
Brian says it’s important not to ignore chronic pains. Since he “excused away” his symptoms, the cancer had spread into the pleural space of his lungs and a couple of lymph nodes.
If he had caught it earlier, surgery might have been an option, giving him a higher chance of a full recovery.
Brian is sharing his story as early detection and treatment are essential. He is confident he can live a long time in his current condition thanks to new treatment options, but wishes he had seen a doctor sooner.
TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.
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