Mick gets help from York Against Cancer

Mick Miller describes himself as a ‘typical man’. He never went to the doctors and when he eventually did go along to check out why he had lost his sense of smell, the GP thought the surgery had lost his notes because there was nothing in his file.

They did, however, investigate his complaint, and discovered to Mick’s shock that he had cancer - non-Hodgkins lymphoma, with tumours in his neck and elsewhere.  “Some of them were the size of an orange, but you couldn’t tell, there was nothing you could see,” says Mick, of Escrick.

The cancer was at stage three to four, and Mick underwent an emotional and stressful time facing six months of intensive chemotherapy at a time when he was also coping with the loss of his mum and his brother. He went on to undergo two more years of specialist chemotherapy injections before his treatment was complete.

Mick, former Health and Safety and Environment Manager with the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, also had counselling sessions with his family to help them cope with his cancer diagnosis.  “It brought everything out and stopped the negative feeling,” he said. “It eased our emotions.”

Mick’s dog, Toby, was another great comfort. He would stay with him when he had to spend time in bed recovering from his treatment. “He would lie down behind me; he seemed to know where I had had the chemo and would lick me there,” he said. “I found it very therapeutic.”

After his treatment Mick took his family over to our respite apartment at Whitby. “The flat is gorgeous,” he says. “I had my last day of treatment on a Wednesday and we were there on the Thursday! It was the best weather that they have had all year and a good time was had by all.”

Mick has also had Reiki sessions at the Cancer Care Centre at York Hospital, and has signed up for HEAL programme exercise sessions funded by York Against Cancer at Roko gym, Clifton Moor, to help with his physical recovery including strength work on his shoulder after having a tumour removed there.

“I had an interview and they worked out an individual recovery plan with me, a one-on-one session. It’s really helping, I find it good, but I also find the meeting other people and discussing your problems with them is a lot of help – it is a mutual support group!”

Mick no longer describes himself as a ‘typical man’.  He has regular three-monthly check-ups and it has been so far, so good, for him. “Anything I am uncomfortable with I go back and see what is happening,” he says. “I am a reformed character!

“I take a very positive attitude. I did get down in the days after I had my treatments but I feel I can talk to my wife. I will be monitored for the rest of the life but one of the doctors said to me that if you have to have cancer, this is a good one to have because of the high survival rate.”