I think I have mentioned everything and the only thing I would say is if you hear about cancer or lung cancer should never get worried. You have to be strong, if you are strong, if you help yourself God helps you and you can be cured. I am the perfect example you can see. Even at the age of 70 I still run about. Being a sportsman; and food which is very, very important, you can maintain your health, nothing to worry about cancer.

Now regarding the message to other people, and especially the Asian elderly people, please be positive, cancer is nothing but a simple disease like fever or anything else. If you treat it that way, have the courage, you’ll help yourself and that is what I will tell anybody or everybody that please, please don’t be afraid of cancer, or lung cancer. Even after removal of the lung you will feel fit, happy and courageous.

I suppose, I suppose my only message would be, stay strong. Never’ I think it can be fought. I know, this isn’t the end of my story, it’s just another stage in it. My conclusion would be that, cancer can be fought and I think you have to stay strong and stay positive. I think’ I didn’t realise that a positive attitude makes such a big difference. I knew I would never agree to anything other than a positive attitude, but I didn’t know, I didn’t know at the beginning that I would get to the end of my treatment and feel that actually, it has made a difference. But I think it has.

Have you got any other messages for people who’ve just been diagnosed with lung cancer?

Well I mean don’t think the worst, I mean some people think cancer is such a frightening word they think when you’ve got cancer you’re going to die and that doesn’t necessarily follow because they’ve got so many new treatments now that they can get rid of cancers or alleviate the symptoms, and I don’t think it helps if you’re frightened. It doesn’t help to be frightened and it doesn’t help your family. I think you’ve got to be positive for your family’s sake.

Do you have a message for other people?

Yes one, one person in a meeting said, ‘Don’t get sad, get mad. So if theres anything that you need to know there are lots of really good books out there. Don’t be frightened to ask questions, and just make sure that you get the best treatment, because I think anybody with lung cancer needs the best treatment, they deserve it.

And is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’d like to say that we need more government funding, we need more nurse cancer specialists, and we need more surgeons for this disease because theres not enough, considering 40,000 people are dying every year we just haven’t got enough nurses or surgeons to cover.

Have you any message for people who’ve just been diagnosed with lung cancer?

Whatever you do don’t get into the depression. And the main thing is seek out a support group. You’ve got get in touch with a support group, and think positive about it. Get in touch with other people who’ve got cancer and talk to them, go and talk to them. Especially if you can get somebody that’s in the same frame of mind as yourself, who thinks like you. Sometimes you can talk to a person and they want to keep on about their illness all the time, they want to tell you, how can I explain it, I’ve met with some people and all they want to do is talk about their illness, but you want somebody to talk about your illness as well. You want to be able to talk [to someone].

To listen…

Who wants to listen to you talk to them. And as I say if you are diagnosed with cancer go and get in touch with a support group and try and get in touch with a support group nurse, if you can because if they’re half as good as what ours is you’ll have no worries at all, shes very, very, good, shes very good.

Is there anything else you want to tell people who’ve just been diagnosed with a lung problem like you have?

I’d say just keep yourself busy in any way at all. You know to keep your mind off it; you have to accept that you’re going for x-rays, you’re going for a blood test, you’re going for a bronchoscopy, you’re going for various other things. Treat them as they come along but for goodness sake have something to occupy your mind. I’m very lucky, I spent the last fifty five years of my life studying the stock market and handling matters at work, money matters at work and so I’m lucky in that respect that I’ve got things to occupy my mind. And I’d say to people yes for goodness sake do anything, crossword puzzles, watch television, do anything to keep your mind occupied.

The other thing I’d like to say to anybody out there who’s ever tried to write a poem, or if not a poem just write something down, and I mean this sincerely and very, very seriously, if you feel pain, frustration, anger, jealousy, contempt, fear, all the feelings that you can possibly imagine if you write down how you’re feeling, not funnily enough just about a cancer or although this is, but about anything, about a wife that may have run away and left you or about a dear relative that’s died or a son that has done something awful to you or whatever, these feelings if you can just write them down on a piece of paper, it doesn’t have to be rhyming, it can just be write it down as furiously and as fast as you like. Somebody told me this many years ago and I didn’t realise it until I got this cancer, you write things down and it takes the feeling out of you. So if you feel annoyed write down that you’re annoyed and why you’re annoyed and you could damn well kill her and whatever the case may be and once you’ve written it read it and then once you’ve read it two or three times and got it into your head screw it up and throw it away and it just takes it out of you.

That’s a useful message.

And I’ve, to be honest with you I’ve written about twenty poems about cancer and one or two of them are bordering on semi serious but the most of them are just really taking the mick to be honest.

Right so you’re going to read us your favourite poem; that you wrote?

Yes, I don’t know if it’s my favourite actually it was the first one I wrote and the reason I wrote it is because as I’ve said to you before the doctors had said that I might not be here for Christmas and I said I would, and not only that I would but that I was going to get wrecked, I was going to have a really good drink. So this poem is called, ‘I’ll have a drink at Christmas’ and it was obviously written before the Christmas period because I knew what was going to happen to me up to Christmas so here goes’

I have a small cell cancer, I call it ‘Canc’ for short;
Oh! By the way at Christmas, I’ll have a drop of Port.

The cancer’s quite a nasty thing, though I swear I feel just dandy,
And anyhow at Christmas, I’ll have a tot or two of Brandy.

The nurses are all working hard, manning Cancer Watch.
Ere I’ll tell you what at Christmas I could have a drop of Scotch.

When I go to hospital, they drip the chemo in;
They’d never guess at Christmas, that I’ll have a slug of Gin.

“Excuse me nurse”, I’m heard to say, are those tablets mine?
Oh! Never mind at Christmas I’ll enjoy a glass of Wine.

I had an off day yesterday, was feeling rather queer;
But I’ll cheer up for Christmas, ‘cos then I’ll have a Beer.

My friends say I’m a thinker but I think this poem proves,
I’m really just a drinker, thinking out the drinking moves!

The chemo’s started working, the Cancer’s growth is slow,
Hang on! It’s now reversing, well done to that chemo!

It’s shrinking down, it’s now so small, it’s really made me think,
That perhaps this year at Christmas I’ll deserve a bloody drink!

You see old ‘canc’ you’ve had your chips, your reign is at an en;
And I can see the winning post it’s just around the bend!

Your light of life is failing, it’s really lost its glow;
So I’ll have me another drink, ‘I’ve beat you, don’t you know’;

Thank you.

Thank you