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A dad who had tears in his eyes for six months was horrified after it turned out to be a facial cancer.
Graeme Heward of Lymm, Cheshire, has a hole in his face after the doctors had to remove his right eye and part of his nose to attack the tumor.
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Aged 58, he had spent months managing ocular problems and felt pressure on his sinuses, but did not think he was more sinister than conjunctivitis.
He states that even the doctors first thought that it was a dry eye before realizing that it was a cancer.
Graeme, a physiotherapist, was finally diagnosed in 2011 with a cancerous tumor in the nasal mucosa, which he nicknamed "The Alien".
Since then, he has undergone nearly 30 operations and now wears a prosthetic mask allowing him to breathe better.
"I was horrified"
Graeme said: "When the doctors told me that they had to remove part of my nose to get rid of cancer, they said that there was a 20% chance that things would get better. ruin and that they need to come back for more.
"I thought the odds were good at the time, but two weeks after my call, the consultant told me that they were going to have to go home and make me lose my eye.
"I was horrified and after receiving the worst news of my life, I had nowhere to go, I did not want to collapse in the waiting room with d & # 39; ;other people.
"So we let him do it in a hospital corridor, I had nowhere to go."
I thought they were pretty good, but then they told me that they should take my eyes off.
Graeme Heward
He was invited to see a doctor before going on vacation with his partner Lesley Braithwaite, 56 years old.
"When I was diagnosed, Lesley and I had been together for five years and I told her that I would not mind if she could not stand it, but she did not hesitate once.
"She was absolutely amazing, my biggest support, honestly, I do not think I would be here today without her."
Treat the eyes
Graeme has undergone innumerable surgeries to come back and remove parts of the tumor in his nasal mucosa, correct his breathing and adjust his prosthesis.
Doctors can no longer administer radiotherapy or cut the tumor because it grows on a large blood vessel. It will never be cancer free, but chemotherapy prevents it from spreading.
I have some reactions, but it just gives me the impression that David Beckham must feel
Graeme Heward
He said, "I have reactions, I think my partner, Lesley's nose, is stronger than mine because when someone looks at me, if I look at them, they look away." , while she can see people looking a lot longer before I noticed.
"It does not really bother me, it just gives me the impression that David Beckham must feel, if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me."
Get help
He says it was two years ago when his relentless cancer left him with only one treatment option, which he discovered Maggie's cancer centers.
He added: "I first discovered them about two years ago, when my treatment options were reduced to palliative chemotherapy.
"I had about 25 operations at that time, but the cancer kept coming back and stood up against a major vessel in the neck.
"Until then, I had never considered alternative drugs, but I realized that I was going to leave this world unless I could make radical changes to my life."
What is a facial cancer and how can I spot it?
Cancers of the oral cavity or face are called orofacial cancers.
Every year, more than 2,500 new cases of orofacial cancer are diagnosed in people living in the United Kingdom.
This figure could be up to 25% higher because people do not realize that they have a small cancer and do not ask for help at an early stage.
Taken together, oral and facial cancers (orofacial) are the sixth most common cancer in the world.
Disturbingly, the incidence of orofacial cancers has increased in the last 20 years in the oral cavity and its adjacent structures such as the lips.
Specialists are particularly concerned about the increased incidence of cancer of the tongue, which usually affects younger people, under 40 and more women than men.
The diagnosis and treatment of most cancers has come a long way in recent decades.
Unfortunately, the prognosis of orofacial cancers has not yet benefited from these advances.
Taken together, the 5-year survival rate remains below 55%, which is low for cancers in general.
At least 1,400 people will die each year in England and Wales from their mouth and face cancer.
As with many cancers, we should be aware of what is normal for our body and keep an eye on the changes that could be early warning signals.
The patients themselves are the most likely to detect changes that could be early cancers of the mouth or face.
The general rule is that if you see something "new" that does not go away after three weeks of careful observation, go to your dentist (if it's in your mouth) or to your doctor , who can direct you to a specialist. oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Source: Cambridge University Hospital
"I have made about fifty changes to my diet, environmental exposure, stress reduction and supplementation.
"All of these changes coincided with the opening of a Maggie & # 39; s Center in Manchester, near my home.
"I had just taken a seat, they offered me a cup of tea and I thought it was a beautiful and inspiring place.
"I've always felt comfortable, it's a small sanctuary where the staff understands what you're going through."
Graeme had the inspired idea to launch a fundraiser for Maggie in the last year, just as he was receiving his successful facial prosthesis that helped him breathe and sleep properly and cover the hole in his face.
[Maggie’s] is a small sanctuary where the staff understands what you are going throughGraeme Heward
He plans to travel 1,090 miles from Swansea to Inverness to raise £ 50,000 for charity.
Graeme said, "I realized that not enough people knew about Maggie's facilities and resources, so I thought he'd try to change that by cycling between Maggie's 22 centers, zigzagging across the Swansea country in Inverness in 17 days.
"It was fantastic to do this trip to this point, to see the centers, meet the staff and feel the atmosphere in each of them, it more than met my expectations.
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"Many times, I thought I was going to die, and be able to do it even made me feel alive.
"It's only when you get out of your comfort zone that you discover what's really inside you.
"There is a quote from the founder Maggie Keswick Jones who created these sites – she said:" What matters is not to lose the joy of living in the fear of death "concept that in my opinion, this ride embodies. "
To donate, visit the Graeme JustGiving page.
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