Lizzie Brazier, Secretary and Patient Liaison
When I was diagnosed in April 2019 with Stage IV, inoperable and incurable lung cancer, my world fell apart, but, thankfully, this proved to be just another step on my journey. Treatment with a TKI worked amazingly well and gave me back time to be with family, friends and to do, sometimes, things I’d only dreamed about.
Two years ago a friend and I ‘did’ Europe in eight days (mainly to drive the Stelvio Pass in her Mazda sports car, roof down (there was snow on the ground 🥶) listening to Matt Munro (Italian Job aficionados will understand 😉).
Her latest madcap scheme, of which I was a ‘willing’ participant, in the little car of course, was Scotland’s North Coast 500, eight days driving on some of the narrowest, scariest roads The Highlands could supply. Many were just a vehicle’s width of tarmac and passing places (a 4x4 would have been much more appropriate). We’ve been to Loch Ness (where my godmother lived, no monster to be seen sadly), onto John O’Groats, all along the top of the world (well Scotland) and down the West Coast. We’ve had every type of weather, eaten seafood straight off today’s boat, peered through the mist at some of the highest mountains, travelled along ‘The Wee Mad Road’ (it’s actual name, and it was!) and belted out The Proclaimers ‘I’m gonna be (500 miles)’ with the roof down. It was glorious, Scotland was breath taking, B&Bs were brilliant and occasionally bizarre, but we made it, I took several hundred photos and am now recuperating before the next, inevitable, trip; watch out Ireland or Spain!!
All this has been possible through great treatment, a brilliant consultant, lovely, supportive nurses, family, friends, plus the emotional support from counselling, and members of our EGFR+ group. Life is definitely for living.
As part of my role as Patient Liaison for the EGFR Positive UK group I organise regular Meet & Chat sessions, currently on Zoom due to the pandemic, which give members from all around the UK a chance to meet up, share good news, seek advice, and chat about the ups and downs of living with lung cancer. Everyone is welcome, patients, family, friends - no one should feel alone facing each new day. Look out for our next Meet and Chat date on the FB group.