Diagnosed with lung cancer just after her 50th birthday, Glenys O’Neill, 56 from Cheshire, has not only had to endure the physical impact of cancer, but a mental battle too.
Because Glen did smoke. Starting at the young age of 14, she remembers being offered that first cigarette and despite ‘coughing her guts up’, Glen persisted with the habit, smoking on an average 12 cigarettes a day.
“I thought smoking made me look daring and sophisticated,” Glen recalls. “Oh if I could turn the clock back!
I dreaded going to the doctor, especially with coughs. The fact that I smoked was always viewed so negatively.”
Fast forward 34 years and Glen found herself admitted to hospital with pneumonia and pleurisy.
Missed opportunities?
Over the next 12 months, she was hospitalized twice more with chest infections. During this time, the A&E department detected a nodule in her lung, but Glen was told not to worry.
“The consultant reassured me that I was only being treated for pneumonia but in hindsight, I can’t help but wonder if that was the right decision given what happened next.”
Shortly after Glen’s 50th birthday, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. In addition to her cough, Glen had a strange pain in her back and used her private medical insurance to explore this further.
As part of the investigation, Glen had a CT scan which showed up an abnormality in her chest. A subsequent scan confirmed it was cancer. Fortunately, it was caught early and Glen had surgery, without the need for any further treatment.
Upon receiving her diagnosis, Glen also stopped smoking immediately.
Recovering from treatment
“My recovery wasn’t straightforward,” Glen continues.
“I suffered a lot of nerve pain following surgery. I returned to work but struggled due to the pain medication I was on. I tried to wean myself off it and find other methods of pain relief, but it was a difficult period. Then one day in 2020, the pain went!
“But even after the physical pain stopped, I still faced a long journey mentally.
The emotional impact
“It took me a long time to come to terms with my diagnosis and this is definitely compounded by the attitudes around lung cancer.
“What I hate, and still hate, is that when you tell someone you had lung cancer their immediate response is “Did you smoke?” and then a knowing nod when the answer is yes.
It’s all about blame and although I accept that smoking could well have contributed to my lung cancer, nobody says to an overweight person who is diagnosed with cancer that they should have managed their weight better.
“Blaming someone for causing their own cancer does not help anyone. It’s a hurtful and unnecessary question to ask – plus lots of people who get lung cancer have never smoked. I think terms like smoker and non-smoker should be avoided for this very reason.”
Moving forward
Glen is now 6 years post diagnosis and had her last annual scan at the beginning of 2024. Whilst the fear of the cancer returning is a constant thought in her mind, Glen is determined to focus on the good things in her life – her daughters, grandchildren and two dogs – as well as helping to raise awareness of lung cancer.
She shares her story as part of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s campaign Let Go of the Labels for lung cancer awareness month, which calls for us all to stop thinking about lung cancer in terms of ‘smoker’ and ‘non-smoker’.
Paula Chadwick is the chief executive of the lung cancer charity. She said: “Glen’s story is so important.
“Not only does it is show us that when lung cancer is caught early, it can be successfully treated, but it also broaches the taboo subject of smoking.
“Many of the people we speak to and support feel too ashamed to talk about smoking. By candidly talking about her own experience with cigarettes, Glen is helping us confront the stigma that plagues this disease and denies many the chance of an earlier, life-saving diagnosis.”
Glen shares her experience as part of our Let Go of the Labels campaign for lung cancer awareness month.