Test saved my dad’s life
Cancer check appeal
A Hamilton woman is backing a campaign to get more people checked earlier after her dad was diagnosed with cancer.
Laura Wilson, 34, felt she would be lost without her father John, who was diagnosed with the early stages of prostate cancer in November 2016.
She said: “When I found out my dad had cancer, I was devastated. I just wanted to take it all away.
“He went in for his operation two days before his 60th, so he didn’t exactly have the best birthday, but I couldn’t believe how well he handled it all.
“He just took it all in his stride and kept his sense of humour the whole time. He stayed so positive and at times it felt like he was the one cheering us all up rather than the other way round.
“The recovery period after the operation was tough, as he was used to being active. It was horrible to see him that way. You just don’t expect it’s ever going to happen to someone you love and who you’re so close to.”
A recent survey revealed that one of the biggest fears of a cancer diagnosis is the effect it would have on their family and the Detect Cancer Early ‘Survivors’ campaign aims to tackle this fear.
The campaign is backed by NHS Lanarkshire and encourages people to act if they have a potential symptom or are invited for screening.
Celia Briffa-watt, consultant in public health for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Getting checked early is one of the main reasons why more people are now surviving cancer.
“If you have any concerns about any changes to your body, its best to make an appointment with your GP and get checked.
“I would also encourage everyone who is eligible to take part in the national screening programmes.”
Laura added: “I’m so glad his cancer was detected early, and he was able to go on to have successful treatment.
“The whole time he was going for tests I just kept thinking to myself, what would I do without him? We’d be totally lost.
“I’m of the opinion that life is too short and there’s too much life to live in such a limited time, so why would you want to shorten it any further by ignoring any symptoms you’re worried about?
“You can’t put a price on having extra time with your loved ones. Thankfully my dad had a positive outcome because of early detection and now he’s here to spend more time with all of us.”
John, 61, is also encouraging people to get checked early and not put potential symptoms down to another cause.
He said: “Looking back to the time before my diagnosis, I did have symptoms of prostate cancer, but I just put them down to my age.
“I suffered from a sore back occasionally and quite often needed to get up in the middle of the night to go for a pee, but these are just things you expect when you’re in your late fifties.
“Now I realise they were actually symptoms.
“To anyone else experiencing symptoms like these, I’d definitely urge them to go and see their GP.”
He added: “It could be nothing serious, but it’s better to find out either way.” all
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman added: “We’ve already seen progress in the number of early stage diagnoses of breast, bowel and lung cancers in Scotland through the Detect Cancer Early Programme, and continuing to raise awareness of the importance of early detection is key if we are to further improve Scotland’s cancer survival rates.”
For more information getcheckedearly.org. visit