“At 37 I was told I wouldn’t make Christmas. Here I am 27 years later”

I’m Ceri. I’m 63 now, 64 this August, and I live in Lancashire.

But back in 1999, when I was just 37, my life changed overnight.

Before all of this, I was just getting on with life. I had no family history of pancreatic cancer, nothing that made me think I’d ever face something like that.

Work was full-on. I was managing teams in the haulage industry, working long hours, often nights, around 70 hours a week. It was constant pressure. After that, I bought a pub, which meant even longer hours, sometimes pushing 80 hours a week. Looking back, it wasn’t great for my health, but at the time it just felt normal.

I was always tired, but I put it down to work.

The symptoms I couldn’t ignore

Then things started to change.

The tiredness became something else entirely. I wasn’t just worn out; I was exhausted all the time. I was sleeping every afternoon for at least 2 hours and had no energy for anything. At one point, I was too tired to even drive myself to the doctors.

At the same time, I developed intense itching in my lower limbs. It was constant and unbearable. I was scratching so much that my skin was breaking and bleeding. I had no idea what was causing it – I put it down to the chemicals used in the pub cellar to clean the pumps, irritation my legs.

Then I noticed my eyes turning yellow. My Chef pushed me to go and checked out. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

That’s when everything started to escalate.

The moment everything changed

I went to my GP. I wasn’t one to go to the doctors unless there was something seriously wrong. My GP and I had a good relationship and with me even being there, was enough to cause concern. I was sent for a scan at Bath Royal.

I remember being so tired that even getting there felt like a struggle.

After the scan, things moved quickly. The doctor told me straight, “You’re staying in hospital.”

I started in the orthopaedic ward and within 6 days I was moved onto an oncology ward. I had never even heard of oncology. Two days later, I was told I had pancreatic cancer and I was seriously ill. I had drains in, I was losing around a pound a day in weight, and my body was clearly struggling.

At one point, they said they couldn’t operate because I was too weak.

Then came the words that have stayed with me ever since.

They didn’t think I’d survive Christmas, which was 3 months away.

The Whipple operation

Despite everything, I was eventually strong enough for surgery.

It was a huge operation. They removed a third of my pancreas, my gallbladder, a third of my stomach, and a third of my liver.

It’s hard to explain what that does to you, physically and mentally, but somehow, I came through it.

I didn’t need chemotherapy afterwards, which was a huge relief. And even more surprisingly, I didn’t become diabetic and am still not.

Getting back to life

My recovery took time, but I was determined not to let it define me.

By early December I had discharged myself, and by March 2000 I was back at work. I just wanted to get back to normal life as quickly as possible.

And in many ways, I did.

But if I’m being honest, I didn’t make all the changes I probably should have.

For years afterwards, I carried on drinking. I’d already cut down heavily and now I haven’t touched spirits for about 10 years, but I didn’t stop completely. I also continued smoking for a long time.

It wasn’t until much later that things really changed. I eventually stopped smoking after a single NLP session, I walked out of it and just thought, “No, I don’t smoke.” I never needed a second session.

A change in mindset

It’s only really in the last couple of years that it’s properly hit me.

You can’t keep pushing your body like that forever. I have had 4 bouts of pancreatitis, which anyone who has suffered with it, will know it is the most agonising pain you can have.

I’ve started taking things more seriously now, cutting back, eating better, and looking after myself properly. It’s taken time, but I’ve got there.

Life now

Today, life feels normal again.

I’ve got a great relationship with my wife, and I enjoy life in a way I probably didn’t before. I don’t take things for granted anymore.

Looking back, I know how close I was to losing my life.

I was told I might not make it to Christmas, and yet here I am, more than 26 years later.

Why I’m sharing my story

If there’s one thing I’d want people to take from my story, it’s this, don’t ignore the signs.

Extreme tiredness. Unexplained itching. Yellowing of the eyes. Losing weight without trying, these aren’t things to brush off.

And I want to give people hope. Do not see pancreatic cancer as a nail in the coffin. I am proof that early diagnosis saves lives. Knowing the symptoms can save your life.