A grandad who had a niggly cough and fatigue after beating Covid received a shocking lung cancer diagnosis.
Alun Edwards, from North Yorkshire, felt ill with the virus but narrowly avoided a hospital admission in March last year.
He recovered from Covid, but initially thought his persistent cough and debilitating fatigue was due to long Covid.
However, the symptoms were more severe than what he thought, Teesside Live reports.
The 67-year-old retired electricity board worker said: "At the time there was a lot of talk going around about long Covid.
"I used to walk for about three miles a day, and one of the things I was told to do after I recovered was to carry on exercising as best I could.
"But the fatigue was debilitating. And the cough was incessant, a lot of clearing my throat.
"I just thought it was the virus, but my wife Rose said, 'Come on this isn't right', and insisted I get it checked out.
"And thank God she did."
In March this year, Alun was referred by his GP to the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton where he had an X-ray, a biopsy a week later followed by more scans. They revealed he had lung cancer.
Alun went on to have two operations - the first to remove some of his lymph nodes as a precaution against the cancer spreading.
In May, the the cancer in his lung was removed, a procedure called a lobectomy.
And just 12 weeks after his first scan, Alun received the amazing news that he is now cancer-free.
"We are just delighted with the help we’ve received and of course the result is just such a relief," he said.
"It’s been an extremely worrying time.
"After the operation, which was a great success, the guy who did it had a word with me and said we can do preventative chemo.
"They had got rid of the cancer but, if I had this short course of chemotherapy, I would have about 5-7% better chance that it wouldn't come back.
"At first, I thought, 'Well it not a massive percentage', but then I thought, 'No, I I have got a responsibility to my wife and kids.'"
Alun starts his third round of preventative chemotherapy on Tuesday.
The father of two and grandad of two is among 300 vulnerable cancer patients who have been supported in their own homes.
Alun said the care and support he received from the NHS and Macmillan has been "fabulous".
"I haven't used the NHS for years but from the time of the initial X-ray, the NHS staff and Macmillan have been absolutely first class," he said.
"The worst thing about cancer is the not knowing, if you don't understand what's going on.
"Once you are given the full information about how it will make you feel and what is going to happen, it puts your mind at ease.
“Stacey and other members of the team have always been on hand to take my or my family’s phone calls, make home visits, be on hand for face-to-face consultations with specialists and home visits at vital times.
"It's helped us feel connected through an unimaginably difficult time.
"Both Stacey and Hayley have always made themselves available working hand in glove with thoracic surgeon Joel Dunning leaving us feeling connected reassured and informed."
The Macmillan Support Line is a free and confidential phone service for people living and affected by cancer. Call 0808 808 0000 seven days a week, 8am - 8pm, or visit Macmillan’s Online Community.
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