A Paisley dad of two has opened up on living with a rare form of cancer in a video message shared online.
Craig Speirs, 39, posted the video of himself explaining Neuro Endocrine Neoplasm and its impact on him and his young family, in a bid to create awareness about the uncommon disease.
Craig, who is married to wife Angela, has an 11-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son, has been living with the cancer for six years.
Initially, Craig's GP at the time was unable to diagnose him when he went to the doctors suffering from nausea, fatigue, diohrrea, stomach complaints and heart palpitations, over three years. The GP claimed his body was flushing due to stress at work.
After registering with a different surgery and undergoing a series of tests, Craig was sent to the Beatson, before he was eventually diagnosed leading to his "whole world to fall apart." He was told he couldn't be cured, but medical staff would do all they could to give him a good quality of life.
In the video, which Glasgow-based RPL media helped to produce when Craig was unable to travel down south to a conference, the 39-year-old talks about living with symptoms affecting his rectum, liver, abdomen, as well as heart disease.
The dad, now an ambassador for the Net Patient Foundation - a charity solely dedicated to providing support for those affected by Neuro Endocrine Cancer - reveals his rollercoaster of emotions, as well as the endless number of treatments and surgeries he has had to go through, including open heart surgery.
Meanwhile, as explained in the video, Craig finds his body 'flushing' 15-20 times a day meaning he experiences pins and needles in his feet, his face turns red, hands and face swell, he feels dizzy and struggles to breathe, all of which can be caused by simply showering and getting dressed in the morning.
However, one of the most powerful aspects of Craig's message is his determination to live life to the full with his family.
He says: "I joke with my medical team I’ll live until I’m 80. Cancer won’t beat me. Who lives with cancer for 47 years? Well I will.
"Like so many other patients, I just want the normal life back, that so many people take for granted. I just want to see my son and daughter grow up and get married and hope that one day I’ll be lucky enough to see my grandchildren.
"I make memories with friends and families because then I now realise the most precious item we hold is time. Once it’s gone, we can’t buy anymore.
"Without people like you, nothing changes. The work you have done so far, I’m extremely grateful for. I love life, and I ask you to continue this fight for better treatment so I can have more memories, like these."
You can watch the video in full in the video player above, or by visiting Craig's post on Facebook, HERE.
To find out more about the great work of the Net Patient Foundation, you can visit their website, HERE.
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