MarinerMatt24's Cancer Journey

you all know me by my username, but my proper name is Matthew, but everyone just calls me Matty or Matt...  

well i've got alot of stuff on my mind at the moment and i thought i may share it with you all...

on May 1st 2008, i was diagnosed with a form of cancer called "RHADOMYOSARCOMA", complicated name, i know. i was 16 when i was diagnosed and to tell you truth, i couldn't believe it at the time, a normally healthy, slightly athletic person like me, to te be quite honest i couldn't believe it at the time. the fact is, it had been coming...

in november 2007 i was studying sport at my local 6th form college, when i started to notice something abnormal on a certain part of my anatomy, and it wasn't until the day after i broke up for the christmas holidays, 21st of december, when i mentioned it to my parents,. yeah i know it was stupid of me to leave it till that late to mention it to my mum n dad, but how else could i put it to them at the time  

well we had a family holiday to Florida coming up at the end of march, ironically we flew out while town were playing franchise at Wemnley, and i was damn well determined to go on this holiday at the time ...



so came back middle of april, went straight in hospital, and had this massive tumour removed. well a week and a half after being diagnosed i began a 6 month long course of really aggressive chemotherapy that left me really ran down and feeling awful, especially when i couldn't eat solid food for a long period. well all my friends from school and college were there, and they came over on my 17th in June


note how i look really gaunt there, that was just before my 3rd round of chemo

the highlight of my birthday was getting that seasons new home shirt, and a letter from Alan Buckley saying that "i hope you get well soon, and that your back at Blundell Park in the near future"   . in November i had a major operation to remove Lymph Nodes and other bits of tumour, aswell as the right spermatic chord   , and then in the middle of December i began a 5 week long course of Radiotherapy. The only Home game i made that season was the 5-1 win over Lincoln City   so it felt really good to be back at Blundell Park after missing the majority of the season, i did attend the scunny game in pre-season aswell as the paint trophy game against them, so 3 games in one season was about it...

then a week before my 18th, i got the phone call i'd been waiting for saying that they'd given me as much treatment that they could throw at me, and that they would take out the tubes that had been in me for the best part of 11 months   , of course that wasn't to happen until after going to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. well i've had routine check-ups and chest x-rays since, and my recent scan a few weeks ago i'll be getting the results back thursday, but i'm god damn terrified about the results though  

but you look at me now, and i feel as good as i did this time 4 years ago  

Quite a journey you've had fella. Really hope things go well on thursday. Keep fighting.

Will be thinking of you on Thursday Matt - really hope it's good news for you.

So much Trauma for one so young, but keep fighting buddy, really hope Thursday brings the reults you want.
UTMM

All the best mate and I hope you get the results you want.

I also got a signed shirt and a get well card too from Mr Buckley when I was laid in in Hull Royal just after I had treatment to remove a brain tumour but I was lucky as it wasn't cancerous and I haven't had to have any chemo or radiotherapy.

Family will certainly help you get through this mate, I know I couldn't have got through what I did without mine.

best of luck mate....try not top worry....you cant alter the results now .......it will be ok....sometimes you just know these things

glad you've got a lot better mate.Having such a problem with your health for someone so young must have been really hard .Glad you feel much better  and I hope the test results bring good news for you

All the best and I hope it is good news.

Keep your chin up Matt you are a fighter,

You will beat this thing mate,

I know  only too well, what you and your parents are going through,  people tell you to be positive, it's hard, but you have youth and fitness on your side. It's great you feel you can talk about it on here. Chin up and hope it's a good report on thursday.