All.Can Patient Survey

49 Patient insights on cancer care: opportunities for improving efficiency You do sort of get used to having cancer, and I have lived with it successfully, I think. For the first five years I was running away from it, but I’m not running away anymore. It’s part of me. I’ve learnt that if you call it a ‘battle’, it’s almost like you’re going to lose. It’s not about winning or losing a battle; it’s about living. I’m not scared of dying – I’m just scared of not living well. And living well doesn’t mean it has to be hedonistic; it can just be sitting with your wife and kids watching TV, laughing, having quality of life, and feeling safe and secure. My health is not bad now. You can’t compare it, my pre-cancer life and post‑cancer life. I’ve had lymph nodes and muscle removed, and blood clots in my lungs. Health-wise, physically, I’m probably 70% of what I used to be. I used to run a lot of marathons; I was lean. Now I’m a bit rotund, which upsets me a bit. Mentally, though, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. That’s the positive side. But I’ve had to do that through psychology, just for myself as well. I can’t stress that enough: people need to put the effort into their own heads. No one can make you feel happy apart from yourself, so you can be your own worst enemy. You’ve got to be your own best friend. * Names and some other identifying elements have been changed to protect patients’ anonymity.