I’m going rather ‘off piste’ with this special blog, but I want to show my support and hopefully raise the profile a little more of the terrible range of diseases referred to as Cancer. Perhaps more specifically, this is about the reality of fighting and living with the disease.

I suspect most people in the world have some personal link to Cancer, either personally or perhaps more commonly through family/ friends etc. I know its still something that some people struggle to talk about which is entirely understandable. Fortunately my personal experience of cancer in relation to close personal family/ friends is rather limited (and long may that continue!), but I do know many people who’s experience and loss have been significant. It is an utterly cruel disease.

Recently I have met with a close former colleague Theo Pywowarczuk. Theo was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer last year and has undergone an intensive course of treatment (radio and chemo therapy) over several months to fight the cancer. I met Theo back in September last year and he told me his recent news and impending treatment plan. These moments in life are real levelers and can alter your perspective. He was determined to fight it with everything he had. And he did. No doubt Theo suffered a lot of pain, both physically and mentally, but he maintained a phenomenal outward positivity and optimism throughout his treatment about coming out of the other side.

Having now completed his treatment, he has had some positive feedback on his progress. It’s very early days of course and he’s acutely aware of that. However despite the torment of the treatment he’s endured, he’s positive still. His life is different in many ways, but he’s taking everything he can.

Theo has received some outstanding assistance from the MacMillan cancer support organisation; a charity which he is keen to payback in some way. He’s currently supporting them by writing about his experiences in relation to the reality of fighting cancer. He’s now created a blog site which can be seen at http://theo392.wordpress.com/ This is a very open and honest log of his treatment, its effects, his feelings, challenges etc. This is not the sort of read you maybe do for leisure, but if you can relate to Cancer, or know someone who is struggling, this might just offer a little support – or a shared experience/ perspective…

Good luck Theo – and anyone else out there who is currently affected by cancer.