Kevin McSweeney, 63 from Whitstable, is still buzzing after finally completing the London Marathon earlier in the year – post treatment for lung cancer.
Getting to the iconic race had not been an easy ride for Kevin after he was forced to defer his place not once but twice. It had been a frustrating wait for the retired paramedic but having survived lung cancer, the setbacks had only made him more determined to cross that finish line, which he did in an impressive 5hrs and 38 minutes.
Kevin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. He had surgery and – as it was caught early – Kevin didn’t need any further treatment.
However, had it not been for his wife, things could have been very different…
Never ignore a cough
“I’d had a persistent cough for about 6-8 weeks,” explains Kevin.
“I wasn’t worried about it and so continued to ignore it. I just presumed I’d wake up one morning and it would have gone.”
But the cough remained and, whilst Kevin was happy to wait it out, his wife encouraged him to see his doctor.
Kevin was diagnosed with a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics and steroids. As a precaution, Kevin was also sent for a chest x-ray which showed a shadow in his lower right lobe.
A wonderful wife!
“I can only put ignoring the cough down to stupidity or laziness. Thankfully, my wife is neither!
“Lung cancer never crossed my mind once. I had smoked but gave up 17 years before my diagnosis, so it was quite a shock.
“I guess that just shows how you don’t have to be a certain kind of person to get lung cancer, and why you should never ignore symptoms.
“I consider myself to be so lucky that even though I didn’t go to the doctor as soon as I could have, my cancer was still caught early, and I’ve been able to get back on with my life.”
Kevin shares his experience as part of our Let Go of the Labels campaign for lung cancer awareness month.