I went to the doctors about an unrelated problem and just happened to mention that I'd had a funny throat since before Christmas and thought that maybe I'd scratched whilst eating or got a fish bone stuck. He told me to go to A&E which I did that evening after work. I was sent through to primary care, then an xray, and once the Doctor looked at it, he said he wanted to keep me in overnight. I was eventually given a bed around 1am.
Around 9ish, the consultant came round and after inserting the camera down my nose, told me I had cancer there and then. This was Saturday, 27th January 2024. The Consultant said he wanted to do a biopsy to confirm and also arranged an appointment with him in clinic, where I was told no more swimming. I did say to them that I still wanted to carry on sailing. To cut a long story short, I had my laryngectomy on the 4th March 2024, around 5 weeks after initial diagnosis.
Whilst on the ward I met some amazing people, including Dr Thomas Moors, who gave me contact details so I could join his choir when ready to do so, which I did. So by October 2024, I was singing with them in the Royal Opera House in London and in November, I was sailing a 33ft yacht from Corfu to Athens. Was very tired by the end though, perhaps should've done a less arduous and shorter trip to start with. Since then, along with my regular hospital team check ups, and shout out to cancer choir practices, I've been busy going to London for mri's to help ongoing studies into laryngectomees as well as other choir members (which led to a 3D print out of our throats) which were then used as an organ when we went to London for the October concert at King's Place. Also, 2 more sailing trips in Greece, Kefalonia to Corfu in the April and then Corfu to Kefalonia in November 2025.