Living Life To The Full - Derek's Story

Up until Christmas 2008 I was fit and healthy. I worked full time as a carpenter and had an extremely full social life taken up by my passion for classic cars, photography and model railway. At 59 years of age I was looking forward to my retirement and having more free time to enjoy with my wife of 36 years and two children.

Everything changed in early 2009. I noticed that I was struggling with everyday tasks. I found that everything was taking me so much longer. I became extremely short of breath after only the lightest of tasks. I thought I had a chest infection.  I went to see my GP who referred me to the Colchester Hospital and then to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Numerous tests and scans followed and, in March 2009, I underwent investigative surgery by way of a bronchoscopy and pleural biopsy where part of my lung was removed in the hope that a condition could be diagnosed. 

In April 2009 my worst fears were recognised. I was told that I was suffering from mesothelioma. I was told that it was caused by exposure to asbestos.

My employment history is typical of a man of my generation. I left school at the age of 15 and began a carpentry apprenticeship. In 1973, upon qualifying as a carpenter, I went to work for a local company called Plus Three Contracts where, for a period of 3 years, I was regularly required to cut up boards of asbestolux. As the name suggests the product is made from asbestos. Cutting the sheets was extremely dusty and I was not provided with equipment to prevent me from inhaling the deadly dust.  As a result I was regularly breathing in dangerous asbestos dust and fibre. I had no idea at the time that it was dangerous.

I decided that I was going to do everything I had always wanted to do while I still could. No amount of money could get my life back but I wanted the company to pay for what they have done. I contacted Irwin Mitchell who visited me at home and a legal claim was commenced. 

In December 2009, the company admitted that it was the work that I had done for them that had caused my disease. The company were forced to make an immediate interim payment which would represent part of my final compensation. I knew exactly what I was going to do with the money.  With the help of my son I set about looking for a classic sports car, something I had always wanted. After much deliberation, and a lot of encouragement from my son, I settled on a MG MGB GT 1967 in tartan red.  I have called the car Annie after my mother. 

In April 2010 a final settlement was reached. I continue to live life to the full and attribute my good health to a positive attitude and active life. I attend model railway club once a week and have been doing this for over 20 years. I am in a Camera Club which I attend once a fortnight and I love to get out and about taking photographs.  We go out photographing places of interest, churches, water meadows and have regular trips to the country in the MG. 

I continue to work full time, although I must admit I can now only do 60% of what I could before I became ill, I pick and choose my jobs, if I don’t want to do it I won’t, but I push myself as much as I can. I appreciate everything I have, take every day as it comes, and take nothing for granted. I plan on living life to the full.

Derek sent us the following update in June 2011:

Just to let you know I have now bought another classic car. It is a 1961 Rover P4 -100. I enjoy both my classic cars and take them to shows in the area and have made many new friends with similar cars of the same make or model.

As for my mesothelioma, after a long session of chemo I have survived two years so far and am still working up to 60% of my working week, taking it easy when I can.

The hospital see me every four months and are pleased with my response to the chemo. It shrank the cancer back by about 20%. My Consultant Mr Skaria told me he is pleased that I responded to the chemo and therefore if I need it again it could help me further. So I feel extremely lucky and surprised how well I am so far into my illness.

My message is keep going as long as you can because determination and stubbornness is a good medicine. I think that the work gives me fitness and motivation a reason to get up in the morning and carry on as normal. Everyone says you must think positive, you can if you feel ok but not if you feel very ill or are in pain. Of course there is a lot of emotion attached to having cancer knowing that you will not live much longer, some days I do feel down and very depressed then the next I am feeling on top of the world and thinking how lucky I am watching the birds in the garden seeing the sunshine, polishing my cars or just visiting friends and old customers for a coffee and a chat.

I feel that they must have caught my cancer early because I have had pleural plaques for many years and have always feared it would develop into cancer which of course it did. I just thought I would let you all know it is not all bad news.