David's Celebration of Life

I was a fit and healthy family when, at just 49 years old, I began to experience recurring persistent pain in the middle of my chest. I told my wife about it and we felt it was best to go to A&E to check it out. I had tests and as they had come back normal the doctor told me I probably just had acid reflux.

Unfortunately over the next 3 days, the pain moved to my left side and got worse, eventually waking me from sleep, I truly felt like I was dying and was rushed back to the hospital for emergency care. I had more tests, including my oxygen levels and was told that I seemed to have ‘sticky’ blood. After a night in a hospital ward, I was sent for a scan and it showed that I had a clot on my lung. Despite this, I was discharged on meds to thin my blood and told to come back in 6 weeks to the clinic to check I was on the right dose of medication.

Dr Jacky had been worried about me and asked what had happened, she was concerned that although I had suffered a clot on my lung, no investigations were planned to find out the cause.  She advised me that I should be referred urgently to a specialist haematologist at a different hospital, and 3 days later I got an appointment.

This time I was examined more thoroughly with blood tests, a scan of my heart and an MRI of my lungs. My PSA, the prostate blood test was a bit high, so they referred me to the urology team. Just 1 week later, I was seeing a specialist nurse who told me I had an 80% chance of cancer but would need to do a further blood test and biopsy. My results came back and I remember vividly the consultant telling me there is ‘good and bad news’ - the bad news is you have prostate cancer…the good news is that it is not aggressive. 

On hearing a diagnosis of cancer, I felt as though my back was against a wall. There was nothing I could do and I had to rely on God to help me - I questioned God and asked God why?... but I trust in you to bring me through this. I trust in you whatever the outcome, that it will work out for my good.

Because of the early diagnosis, I was able to adjust over time and attend a seminar with videos on the condition, the surgery and aftercare, information on counselling and an expert patient to share his story. It was also really important to involve my wife in all of this, to understand the implications and share in the decision-making.

3 years later I had robotic surgery to remove my prostate and in the recovery room, it felt as though it had been just a moment…it was all over. I didn’t pray any harder, God just came through for me and the operation was a success!  All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion, I was in floods of tears, at the thought that I could have died.

I had follow-up blood tests for 2 years, and 10 years on I am cancer-free and living life to the full.

This whole experience has made my faith stronger,  it has made me believe God even more - when God’s Word says that He loves me, I can feel the practical side of it.

God used Dr Jacky to put things in place and make a way of escape for me. I have inner peace and heartfelt joy at God’s amazing love for me!