Sam on joining the Young Person's Group

Despite a few trips to the optician about visual disturbances to my peripheral vision in 2022, my cancer wasn't picked up until after a severe episode and a trip to A&E.

Emergency operation to save my eyesight

A CT scan found that I had swelling in the optic nerve behind my left eye, and the immediate investigations that followed found a tumour in the middle of my brain, which was blocking the flow of spinal fluid.

Emergency surgery followed just 24 hours later to allow the spinal fluid in my brain to flow around the tumour. This operation saved my eyesight.

Further treatment for the actual brain tumour consisted of five weeks of five days-a-week Proton Beam Therapy at UCL Hospital in London in 2022.

I am extremely grateful that the Proton Beam Therapy completely removed my tumour, and I would say I’m now at 100% physical fitness.

But the experience of having cancer at such a young age has left its scars.

Professional and peer support has helped me move on with my life

There is always the fear of the cancer recurring - it was just such a horrible experience to have gone through and the Proton Beam Therapy has left some after-effects.

But the peer support I've received from other people my age at the Young Persons’ Group at Maggie’s Nottingham, as well as the expert advice from a clinical psychologist, is helping me to move on with my life.

People who haven’t been through cancer do realise that nothing is ever normal after something like this. But it really is great to be able to meet up with the Young Persons Group at Maggie’s because it’s much easier to discuss the trauma of what you’ve been through with other people who have been through something similar.

I find that being in the calming Maggie’s environment helps me to process things.

I now get full body MRI scans to check where I’m at. This has been reduced from every four months to every six months now. I can get a bit nervous around these scan times, but this is also something we will talk about in the Young Persons’ Group.

To be honest, we talk about everything in the group, and topics are different every time, but it helps to be with others who have been through it.

Difficulty in getting diagnosed as a young person

I think younger people have a harder time getting diagnosed, simply because they are young and fit. My optician had spotted that my optic nerve was a bit swollen, but I hadn’t been referred to hospital for this and it wasn’t until it became an emergency and my vision was really affected that my brain tumour was found.

Thankfully it was treatable and thankfully I didn’t go any longer without the tumour being spotted.

Getting on with life with Beth by my side

I have lived in Nottingham with my partner Beth for over six years. It’s where we both studied Product Design at university.

Beth was my rock throughout diagnosis and treatment. She has been through this every step of the way with me and has been my real support through it all. 

We both took a year off when I was receiving treatment for the tumour, and Beth cared for me.

Since then, we have both graduated and are in full time jobs. We are not long home from a holiday in the Alsace region of France with a big group of friends, where we did a lot of walking and ate and drank a lot of good food and wine.

We are trying to get on with our lives as a young couple.

We’re here with you

Our cancer support specialists, psychologists and benefits advisors are here for everyone with cancer, and all the people who love them. 

• Come and see us at your nearest Maggie’s
• Call us on 0300 123 180 or arrange a callback
• Email us at enquiries@maggies.org