Onwards and upwards

Chronicle managing editor David Whaley with his team of runners: L-R Karen Doherty, Tracey Holmes, Hayley Yates, Niamh Stuart and Sarah Tate.

Chronicle managing editor Dave Whaley’s cancer treatment diary

BAD news certainly travels fast.

It was never my intention to keep my condition - a tumour on my larynx - a secret. It’s hardly possible anyway when you work in newspapers and have a croaky voice that prompts everyone to ask how you are...

But the speed at which the word got out was testament to the wildfire nature of the smartphone.

Within hours of telling Chronicle staff, I had phone calls, text messages and notes on Facebook and Twitter from all over the country.

If I heard “if there is anything at all I can do to help . . .” once, I heard it dozens of times and it was certainly uplifting to know we have an army of support.

The most frequent observation was: “I didn’t realise you were a smoker!” I’m not! Never have been.

The experts said it is “unusual” but at least it gave me a better-than-good chance that there were no further ‘complications’ in my lungs.

To find that out I went to the Royal Oldham Hospital for a CT scan where my wife Wendy and I were greeted by a nurse explaining to the packed room that they were sorry for the 90 minute-plus wait caused by non-scheduled arrivals from the wards. Deep joy!

But as we contemplated a late-night stay, a nurse called my name. The queue was for the MR scanner; the CT scanner was on time. I was in and out in 15 minutes.

It’s a little disconcerting to be told the fluid they inject into you to make your organs show up better on the scan will make you feel hot... and then like you have wet yourself.

It did. I hadn’t. Very strange.

Next day came the big meeting with the cancer experts at North Manchester hospital (which I can’t stop myself calling Crumpsall).

Here I got a stark realisation of how visual a cancer of the head or neck can be, from other, far more serious patients waiting alongside me in the oral and maxillofacial unit. The plight of others only added to the tension, something I hadn’t otherwise felt that day as I breezed into Fairfield, unknowing and uncaring. The current extent of my condition is a sore throat and husky voice, after all.

I really am counting myself fortunate that my condition is known as a T1 stage cancer — meaning the tumour was caught before there was any chance of spread and deeper complication.

This time I knew that the CT scan was key. “Clear... and clear,” said consultant Mr Murthy’s assistant when discussing the scans. Result!

So just the one battle with the tumour on the vocal cords to win. My chances of success - meaning a cure - are put at 90-95 per cent, a figure I’m happy to accept - especially with this team of experts on our side.

Oncologist Mr Lee went through the radiotherapy treatment plan worked out at the specialists’ advance meeting - cancers these days are treated by teams of specialists led by oncologists, radiographers and surgeons, who decide what will work best for each patient.

A dentist checked my mouth and teeth for issues. None. Speech therapist Janice Lang talked through some of the side effects and continuing problems once the 16-day treatment plan is over.

Nutritionist Claire Hamer chipped in about the need to drink the painkilling liquid before meals, to make sure I eat (not eating and losing weight due to the rawness of the throat isn’t an option in preparing for the onslaught).

The whole session was brilliant, thorough and just a little overwhelming.

I willingly signed up with research nurse Joanne Allsop to be part of the head and neck 5,000 study, which is hoping to find links between cancers and lifestyle.

And last stop of the day was with Anne-Maria Round (“they all call me Marie”), my Macmillan case worker, with me throughout the process.

What a woman! Straight-talking and hugely empathetic, Marie gave me literature that would answer all the questions and a full understanding of what lies ahead.

I headed home cheered by the fact that only last year I had completed 72 holes of golf in a day with three friends to raise money for Macmillan.

And now, If writing this helps just one person along the path to getting treatment, it will be worth it.

Onwards and upwards. Keep smiling.

Next week: My first visit to The Christie - and the man behind the mask!



FIVE Oldham Chronicle staff are getting out from behind their desks to help fight cancer.

Tracey Holmes, Niamh Stuart and Sarah Tate from teleads are running in the Race for Life at Heaton Park on July 13, alongside Hayley Yates from promotions and reporter Karen Doherty.

The Chronicle team is dedicating its entry in the 5k run to managing editor Dave Whaley.

Sarah persuaded her colleagues to sign up and explained: “My sister-in-law had cervical cancer last year and my dad has had kidney cancer so I really wanted to do something for the charity.

“I’m fortunate because they have both survived - but my friend’s dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer at New Year and died recently. We need to do all we can to fight this disease.”

If you would like to sponsor the Chronicle team, donate at www.justgiving.com/thechronicles or text OECG72 with an amount of £1 or over to 70070.