Chris’s story

Sharing positivity.

Hello, I am a 68 year old from South Tyneside. I will share my story from first scan in April 2024 to discharge in October of the same year.

I volunteered for a lung scan under the NHS Initiative for ex-smokers. As well as smoking in my teens I also worked with asbestos so being ever the optimist, I thought the scan was a good idea to hopefully get the all clear. How much more wrong could I have been! The scan, 2 April 2024, picked up an Anteria Mediastinal Opacity. I was advised of this on 15 April, the day before I left for a two week holiday in Portugal.  I returned home on 30 April and had my first meeting with my Consultant Respiratory Physician on 3 May. He advised me of the range of potential diagnoses. He also advised that at my level of fitness he was confident that I could be treated, no matter what.

The next 3 months was a series of tests, scans, biopsies and clinics with the Sunderland and South Tyneside Hospitals until I was eventually diagnosed with a 57*42*87mm Thymoma and referred for surgery at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. It all felt timely and I was well informed throughout the journey. In August I met with the Surgeon and had my pre op assessment.

At my meeting with the surgeon he advised that my tumour was too big for keyhole or robotic surgery, he had worked in a top hospital in Paris and they will not do keyhole for any Thymoma over 20mm. I was surprised at this as my research had told me that he is an expert in those fields as well as Thymoma treatments.

A date was fixed for the operation on 28 August, unfortunately that was postponed due to an emergency and I was sent home and returned the following week.

The operation went ahead on 4 September and I was allowed home on 6th, my recovery was rapid to say the least although, as well as the radical resection of the thymus via medial sternotomy,  they had needed to take a wedge from my right lung and a 100*80mm section from my pericardium.  I went out walking for 1 mile the following day and built up my mileage over the next 5 weeks to a maximum of about 7 miles per day before returning to the gym 5 weeks and 5 days after my operation. I do cardio exercises and did not do any upper body work, as a precautionary measure to protect my sternum, for 16 weeks. I was off all medication 2 weeks after the operation and have needed none since.

I was discharged by the Oncologist on 23 October and by the Surgeon on 24 October.  I had my first follow up CT scan on 6 January and met with my consultant on 7 February to discuss the results and the plan for future surveillance. At that meeting I was given the all clear.

My treatment with both trusts has been exemplary and notwithstanding holidays and emergencies my journey seems to have been made as quickly and safely as possible.

I hope that this gives confidence to some who are just beginning their journey.