Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Planet Fitness Newcastle member, Margaret, has courageously offered to write about her late husband’s battle with lung cancer to help raise awareness of the disease.

My husband, Trevor, died of lung cancer 13/11/06, he was a heavy smoker. He was a plasterer and ran his own business. Trevor worked up until 10/08/06 with the help of his workmates when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He also had brain cancer as his secondary. He experienced dizziness, loss of balance, bad headaches and lost a lot of weight.

Trevor started coughing up blood and had an operation to remove the tumour in September of that year. He was unable to drive until the tumour was removed. Trevor had radiation therapy to treat the lung cancer and once that was completed, there was no more that the doctors could do.

I didn’t realise how much you can take your family for granted until something like this happens. Family is the most important thing of all. I didn’t think this would happen to my family, but it did. We spent all of our time with him.

On 3/11/06 Trevor was in so much pain that he was admitted to the Hospice at the Mater Hospital. The cancer had gone to his liver. He was driving the day before he was admitted to the hospice, which was 10 days before he died. None of us ever gave up hope, we were positive up until he was admitted to the hospice. Trevor was only 52.

Trevor was funny, the life of any party, a family man and he would help you without hesitation if you needed it. Life is not the same without Trevor in it. He left behind 2 children and myself and he is sadly missed by us all.

From the Cancer Australia Website: canceraustralia.gov.au
November, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, provides the opportunity to raise community awareness of lung cancer and the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia with around 11,000 people diagnosed in Australia each year. The symptoms of lung cancer can often be vague and mimic those of other conditions, so it’s important to know what your cough is telling you.