Wife, mother, dog walker, swimmer, actor and traveller, Elisabeth Cammell does many things. Her life changed suddenly when doctors diagnosed her with early-stage lung cancer.
Elisabeth, 59, from Bristol, went to a routine appointment for her arthritis. During the check, doctors spotted a nodule in her lung.
“I had no symptoms, so I was totally shocked when doctors put me on the two-week FastTrack lung cancer referral list on 18th December.”
It was a very difficult Christmas. I thought the worst, so made the decision to get my affairs in order because I feared I may not have long to live.
I saw the consultant on New Year’s Eve, and she thought it was a Lepidic slow growing adenocarcinoma.
NHS waiting lists
I had a long wait for my surgery because of NHS waiting lists.
I needed a lobectomy to remove the nodule. The surgeon was confident that was all the treatment I needed. I still felt anxious until they removed the nodule and completed the histology.
I had my surgery on 23rd March. The first few days were tough. I felt exhausted and weak, but my friends visited often and my husband kept me well-fed.
After two weeks, they confirmed it was a non-aggressive cancer. They discharged me with no further treatment needed. I felt hugely relieved.
It’s now been a month since surgery and I’m doing well. I’ve been discharged with no further treatment and have returned to walking.
I started going out two weeks after the operation, but I couldn’t manage much. I’ve now slowly built up and after four weeks after surgery was out walking by myself. I can now do a few miles albeit quite slowly!
I’m just glad I’m out and about again. I’m going to a yoga class next Monday which is 5 and a half weeks since the operation, so it’s amazing how quickly I have recovered.
I still get very tired. I need to rest for a few hours every afternoon, but I am back cooking the family dinners. “
The importance of early screening
Elisabeth’s story shows why lung cancer screening is so important. The CT scan for her arthritis discovered her cancer early. Without it, her cancer might not have been found until much later, and the outcome could have been very different.
Elisabeth wants to share her story to show that you don’t need to feel unwell to have lung cancer. She encourages anyone invited for lung screening or a targeted lung health check to take the opportunity.
“If my cancer hadn’t been found in November, it could have spread and become harder to treat,” she says.
She hopes her story highlights the value of the charity’s targeted lung health check campaign. She urges everyone invited to attend, even if they feel well.
Elisabeth feels lucky her cancer was found early. She has had curative treatment and has started travelling again.
I visited Spain this year, but my goal is to explore Vietnam and Cambodia once I feel fully fit.”