David Fullard, a 5-year survivor

David Fullard is back to share his 5-year cancer free update.

As I type this update, I am reminded by my wife that this same date in 2020 fell on a Wednesday. I know that because it was the same day I was told I had been diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. My experiences from then-on-in up until my completion of post-surgery chemotherapy and my initial battle to attain full fitness are documented in detail elsewhere in the 1 year survival chapters of Pancreatic Cancer Action.

So how has the 5-year journey from diagnosis till now gone? Well, I now join the NHS 5-year survivors’ statistics for a start. I need to state explicitly, early in this update, my gratitude for my NHS treatment, care and after care along with my gratitude for being gifted another shot at life itself. It has been an eventful journey. A journey of mainly highs interspersed with a couple of not so high moments,

I am now almost 78. These past five years have flown. Late November 2020 found me lying in a hospital bed, a shadow of my pre cancer diagnosis self, weak from more than two weeks of chemo induced non-stop diarrhoea. My Oncology Professor visited me to tell me he had seen the results of my CT taken the day before. There were no signs of cancer showing. As that CT was the 2nd clear scan and my cancer markers were consistently within the normal range he was discharging me back to the care of my consultant surgeon. No more chemotherapy. Happy days indeed.

My consultant surgeon had retired during my six months of chemotherapy. In July 2021 I was assigned to a new surgeon, He gave me an appointment. The date and venue of that appointment changed three times before being cancelled all together. I discovered my original surgeon’s list had been distributed amongst other surgeons. My new surgeon felt he had too many patients. I was ditched. As luck would have it I ended up on the list of a newly appointed surgeon. Alex. I was taken under the care of the singularly kindest, most approachable, adept and professional surgeon I had ever met. And I had met many consultant surgeons during my previous NHS career.

I began a regimen of six monthly surveillance CTs which continue to this day. By August 2021 I was into a full-blown Type 3c insulin dependent diabetes lifestyle. Diabetes and neuropathy remain lasting effects of the surgery and chemotherapy I underwent and are common amongst pancreatic cancer patients who undergo distal pancreatectomies/splenectomies followed by Folfirinox chemotherapy. I managed to ditch my Michael Flatley alter ego around 12 months after my chemo finished. For those not acquainted with River Dance I should explain the Folfirinox left me with pronounced ‘Drop Foot’ which made my gait akin to that of an Irish dancer! Funny to look at but uncomfortable and the cause of several falls.

My six monthly CTs are arranged by my consultant surgeon. He messages me the results within a maximum 10-day post scan period, He knows I am slightly on edge waiting for the results and he is diligent in his messages to me with the results. We mostly correspond by message or telephone appointment. I can message him anytime with intervening worries if they arise. The regular CTs also detected an abdominal aortic aneurism. Fortunately, ‘only’ 3.5cm in size. ‘Triple As’ as these aneurisms are known are only operated on once (IF) they reach 5.5cm in size. This comorbidity is checked every CT.

There have been a few other not so good events I must say. two inguinal hernia repairs for a start. The first hernia noticed by my surgeon on reviewing a six monthly CT scan and quickly repaired by him. The second one a re-repair of the same hernia after I foolishly forgot, aged 77 and living with bilateral inguinal hernia repairs, lifting 60x60 concrete slabs is foolishness personified! Then there was a subarachnoid haematoma, found after a crushing headache awakened me one early morning. This was followed by an unrelated TIA a few weeks later and a series of fast-track tests that resulted in a carotid artery stenosis diagnosis and a need (later retracted), for stents.

But without doubt the most unpleasant ‘non high’ was a fear the cancer had returned. I know the chances of the cancer returning is always there, but I have never allowed that fact to define my life. But I experienced several known pancreatic cancer symptoms early in 2025. I messaged my surgeon. I was given an appointment in his clinic two days later. In clinic he listened to my symptoms, indigestion not controlled by twice daily Lansoprazole along with back pain, intermittent upper left abdominal pain and intermittent diarrhoea.

My surgeon Alex, as previously mentioned, is outstanding. He tasked his clinic nurse to arrange a CT that same afternoon and his Registrar to take bloods for cancer marker analysis. Bloods were duly taken followed by a CT an hour later. I returned home. 8pm that evening my iPad pinged. It was Alex.

They did; my cancer markers were six! Well in the bottom spectrum of the normal range.

A high fruit diet (with lots of fresh pineapple) which I had had no idea can cause severe indigestion and which I had not mentioned to my consultant, were almost certainly the main causation of the indigestion, and diarrhoea. My chronic diverticular disease accounting for the left sided abdomen pains. The trouble is one can never be sure. My initial PanCan went undiagnosed for several weeks entirely due to my (false) assumption the pain in my tummy and the diarrhoea were caused by diverticulitis that I had self-treated with rescue Metronidazole antibiotics. It was only discovered by chance following a CT looking into reasons for a persistent bout of haemoptysis (coughing blood).

To conclude, I am alive and living a full and happy life. There is no spectre of a cancer return in my dreams or thoughts. My diabetes is well controlled via a Freestyle Libra blood glucose monitoring system. My neuropathy can be a pain, and it does inhibit my mobility a lot. There is no cure for it and little effective medication exists; It is what it is. But a small price to pay for surviving pancreatic cancer! I am 100% positive in my outlook a stance that saw me through the surgery, and traumatic chemotherapy and its aftermath effects.

Finally, I advocate vigilance to health and body function changes whilst not allowing such to dominate one’s life. That and a responsive, understanding and all-round excellent consultant surgeon, or oncologist if still in such care, are key to a great survivor story.

I am presently mentoring a 70-year-old Greek born Australian lady (via her daughter and the internet) who has recently undergone the same surgery as I did and is now midway through the same Folfirinox chemotherapy regimen. Her worries, issues etc mirror those I experienced, she is doing brilliantly. I have done this with four other pancreatic cancer patients (only ever one at a time) for the past four years. It is cathartic and my attempts, along with supporting Pancreatic Cancer Action, at payback for my good fortune.

Stay safe everyone.

Best Wishes

David.