Man who thought he was suffering from heartburn for years discovered he had stage three cancer
Sam Brandon, 40, was given a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis following years of suffering with heartburn, something that he thought was 'totally ordinary.'
The father-of-two recalled the moment where his 'life changed', when he was rushing through a tube station in London and trying to stuff a panini down his throat, with the help of some water.
However, he realised he was choking, and after trying to get it all down, he threw up all over the carriage on the Elizabeth Line.
In a piece for The Telegraph, the UK car company sales director admitted that he had been suffering with heartburn for years, and issues with swallowing were a well-known complication of the condition.
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Putting it down to his stressful, packed lifestyle, Sam spoke of his job, family, and an on-going court case involving some tenants refusing to move out of one of his properties.
He even remembered speaking to colleagues about the best brand of heartburn medicine, as he noted that many others in his company used Gaviscon or similar medication.
While he knew he should have seen a doctor if pain persisted, he said he simply didn't have enough time, until his mishap on the tube.
Speaking to a GP, he was given lansoprazole, which lowers stomach acid, and for 30 days, he saw improvements - though he would later feel like something was jammed in his throat.
Last Easter though, a bite on holiday caused it to become lodged in his chest after swallowing, adding that his 'stomach had turned cold', and he got worried.
He was given more lansoprazole after getting back to the UK, and after insisting, he was referred to a gastrointestinal specialist.
Following an endoscopy, which also happened to be on the same day as one of his son's scans, the doctor said he would be 'very surprised' if he didn't have 'cancer of the oesophagus.'
“You have a huge tumour in your throat,” the medical professional said, though they were still awaiting biopsy results.
He later found out that he had an undiagnosed hiatus hernia, which led to the development of Barrett’s oesophagus, which is caused by persistent acid reflux.
The crushing news forced the father to think about his family's long-term future, and dreaded telling them the news.
The stage three oesophageal cancer was large, and had spread to his lymph nodes, with tests revealing that he go through chemotherapy and then therapy to remove the majority of his oesophagus.
A quick Google revealed that his type of cancer only had one in five people living for more than five years following a diagnosis, with his wife searching for the best places to get treatment and the most advanced forms of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy began six weeks after his diagnosis, at the end of June last year.
The day after his first round, Sam bizarrely went to Glastonbury festival to celebrate his wife Mimi's 40th birthday.
He admitted: "I’ve never felt more grateful to be alive – and with my family – than I did that weekend. We spent those days watching Coldplay and dancing until 4am, with my son on my shoulders. I certainly realised then what was truly important to me."
Sam also tied the knot with Mimi, as they never got married as 'life really sped away' from them after they started a family together.
Soon after their summer wedding, Sam was made to go through his surgery at Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford with an experienced surgeon named Mr Nima Abbassi-Ghadi.
He described the surgery as 'cutting edge', saying: "It was a minimally invasive robotic surgery."
Most of his oesophagus was removed and what was left was connected with his stomach, leaving little scarring.
Sam was back walking the following day, leaving the intensive care by the end of the week.
Now, he eats softer foods and smaller meals, steering clear of steak in particular.
The father even admitted that he stuck to 'bite-sized' turkey and pigs in blankets, though bread sauce and gravy was still present.
Now 10kg lighter, he is on the road to recovery, and even ate one of his favourite foods, duck pancakes, for the first time since his surgery during the Lunar New Year.
Sam shared that he is now in remission, getting the 'all-clear' in January, and admitted that he never considered death an option, so the news was just 'the culmination of a long journey.'
He shared that telling people that he was cancer-free was 'something special', though he is yet to return to work.
The dad is now training for an ultramarathon in October, raising money for heartburn and cancer charities that have helped him on his journey, also running the Oxford Town and Gown 10k in May.
Sam aims to raise awareness of its symptoms, such as heartburn and indigestion, and particularly the former, as it increases the likelihood of a tumour growing there.
He added: "Heartburn is both a symptom and cause of oesophageal tumours.
"I’d wish I’d known this years ago, but I was still lucky. Had my cancer not been caught when it was, thanks to that panini, I might not be here to tell the tale."
Topics: Cancer, Health, UK News, Mental Health, London, Charity
Joshua Nair