Steve Wride - Oxford, United Kingdom - His Mesothelioma Story

At the start of 2009, their children having grown up and left home, Stephen Wride and his wife Linda decided it was time to take a gap year of their own, traveling in Europe and further afield. They spend Easter in Greece, then moved on to Italy in May. It was there that Steve picked up what he though was a flu bug. He felt washed out and had no appetite, in spite of being in the homeland of some of his favourite food and drink.

Back in the UK, he went to see his GP and, on the second visit, was sent to hospital for an X-ray which revealed fluid on his right lung. Instead of going to Turkey as planned, Steve was admitted to the hospital in June 2009, where the fluid was drained, the pleura stuck together again (pleaurodesis), and a biopsy taken. On 16 June, 2009, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Since then, Steve and Linda have been learning to live with, rather than die from, this preventable disease. Steve has been through six cycles of chemotherapy on a drug trial (Velcade and Cisplatin), and his cancer is stable (February 2010). Whilst devastated by news of his diagnosis, Steve and Linda are determined to make the most of their time together and try very hard to have a positive outlook on life; most of the time they succeed, with help from their family and friends.

Never give up hope.

Read Linda's blog here: Doing Something Positive

If you would like your story added to this section of the website, please send me an e-mail.