Warren Gray went through every emotion when he was first told he had lung cancer. He believed his life was over but after undergoing surgery, chemo and radiotherapy, Warren now has no evidence of disease (NED). As part of our World Cancer Day series, Warren shares what he learned about lung cancer through his own surprising experience.
When I Thought My Life Was Over
“When I first found out the result of my CT scan, I felt like my life was falling apart. Lung cancer? How could I have lung cancer? I’d always lived a healthy lifestyle. I couldn’t understand why this had happened to me.”
“I thought my life was over. Terrified and incredibly angry. I felt as though someone had cheated me out of my life. That day, I sat down and wrote letters to each of my loved ones because I genuinely believed I had received a death sentence.”
I look back now, and I am amazed at how far I have come, and how well I am. I now know that there are so many amazing treatments for lung cancer, and options are changing, expanding, and improving all the time. Having experienced it first hand, I have a much different and more positive outlook now. There is life after lung cancer.
“My official diagnosis was stage 3a non-small cell lung cancer, confirmed only after I had surgery as the biopsy was inconclusive. I then had mop up chemotherapy in March 2022 and precautionary radiotherapy in August 2022 due to the challenging location of my cancer. “I am now NED (no evidence of disease). I’m not receiving any treatment and just attend regular follow-up appointments.”
There Is Life After Lung Cancer
“It is a very different picture to what I first expected following those initial tests. Life has returned to normal after lung cancer, and the disease won’t stop me living life to the full.”
“Being able to run again means so much to me. Running has always been a passion, and I’ve completed marathons in the past. Before treatment, I was terrified that part of my life might be taken away.”Before my surgery, I even completed a 7.5-mile run because I thought it might be my last chance.”
A Second Chance at Life
“I feel incredibly lucky that doctors found my lung cancer early enough for curative-intent treatment. That’s especially true because I only had an intermittent cough and was just 44 years old.” My doctor referred me for an X-ray and then a CT scan. I’m now in remission.” That’s the key; early intervention and detection is how more people survive lung cancer like me.”