Roger's Story

A tribute to Roger Plowman

We were greatly saddened to learn that Roger had passed away on the morning of Thursday 12 November. Roger died peacefully at home after his long and courageous struggle against mesothelioma. Since his diagnosis in May 2007, Roger had investigated every available treatment option and faced them all with characteristic determination to improve his condition and make the most of the time available to him. Roger's indomitable spirit and innate love of life helped him overcome serious chest infections and the side effects of his various treatments. From the outset, Roger was able to look beyond his own situation and to think of others affected by the disease. He was always anxious to raise the profile of mesothelioma sufferers and to do all he could to highlight the medical and legal issues. Roger gave much of the precious time he had to publicising the disease and to supporting others. His strength and good humour and positive approach to the condition he faced were an inspiration to all those he met. Roger will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his wife Jane and his family.

Roger was kind enough to provide us with the story of his experience with mesothelioma. You can see a video featuring Roger and read his story below. 

In 1998, aged 51, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer whilst living in the Pyrenees in France. For reasons relating to my lack of vocabulary in French medical terms and anatomy, certainly not the quality of their health system, which from first hand experience I believe is the best in the world (a fact supported by the World Health Organisation), I returned to Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital for the removal of my right kidney.

A radical nephrectomy, as it is called (and I still do not know what that is in French!) involves a significant incision, some eighteen inches long from front to back. Over time, following the surgery I experienced considerable, postoperative pain/discomfort, as many nerves had been cut through, but this pain had become familiar to me.

In September 2006, I went to my GP after experiencing an unfamiliar discomfort behind my right lung for a couple of months. During that same period I had also been referred to the asthma clinic to review my inhalers for asthma, a disease I had as a child, but breathlessness reoccurred around 2003 and over the summer the new inhalers seemed to be making me worse. I presented myself to my GP with these symptoms but at a bit of a loss, she asked me what I wanted her to do? I was positive in requesting a CT scan, which she agreed too, then prescribed antibiotics and told to me to return, after her holidays in 3 weeks.

Roger gives us his interpretation of the politics surrounding asbestos (click image to enlarge).

At the end of that week, having shown no improvement with the antibiotics, I returned and saw another doctor who had recently joined the practice from being a hospital registrar. Following a physical sounding of my chest she announced that she would fax Glenfied Hospital Leicester (as it happens, a major centre for mesothelioma surgery and Headquarters of Mesothelioma UK) straightaway for an appointment with a respiratory consultant, pointing out that if she did not get an immediate response, she would have me admitted that day! Fortunately that was not necessary as an appointment was given for 27th December 2006.

Then started a new life of consultants, consultations, hospitals and the unknown.

A needle biopsy was taken to investigate the nature of the fluid found inside my chest. During that initial consultation, I was asked twice if I had worked with asbestos, but couldn’t recall that I had. The results which came back a fortnight later were inconclusive but it looked like I had cancer cells in the fluid and that a secondary renal cancer had developed in my lung. I saw a renal oncologist in January, who started me on Interferon injections for secondary cancer (or metastases) from my kidney. After training, these were carried out by my wife every other day.

In early February I was admitted to hospital for day surgery to have a Thoracoscopy with pleurodesis. Biopsies were taken of my chest lining using keyhole surgery with a camera, and talc was sprayed inside my chest to make the lung stick to the chest wall. Over four litres of fluid were drained from my pleural cavity during what turned into a six-day stay. On February 27th the results of the biopsies came back; I was told to stop using the Interferon as I might have mesothelioma.

On April 3rd I was admitted for VATS, Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (keyhole surgery in the chest) more biopsies, more talc, more draining, hey ho! May 14th, you guessed! Admitted for a Mediastinoscopy (a little look behind the breastbone for………yes! more biopsies, then out in five days.

Now the ‘Main movie!’ On the 19th June (after getting married on the 12th !) I was admitted to the wonderful Glenfield Hospital for……..wait for it, Radical Pleurectomy and Decortication or P/D. Details can be found on the Mesothelioma UK website (excellent) but in a nutshell they removed the lining of my chest wall, the lining covering my lung, and in my case the fat around my diaphragm and heart. That’s enough!! I was home on the 26th.

I spent a lovely three weeks in Scotland during August, on our postponed honeymoon recuperating and healing.

In October, I was lucky, as although it was only approved by NICE in September 2007, I had five cycles of chemotherapy with Alimta, the latest drug for mesothelioma, and Carboplatin. We went every three weeks to spend the day in the Leicester Royal Oncology Department, for me to have an intravenal infusion of the two drugs, one after the other, which took about 2 hours to do. We met some wonderful people in the waiting room waiting to be seen and the staff were fantastic. I felt tired and lethargic after the chemo, gradually getting better just in time for the next fix! After the fifth treatment my immunity hit rock bottom and I ended up getting a chest infection and spent the first fortnight of 2008 on the oncology ward on heavy-duty intravenal antibiotics. The chemo thinned my hair a bit but it is now back blacker than ever and with the waves I have always wanted!

Now in December 2008, apart from feeling a little breathless, I take every day as special. The journey so far has been tough but with my lovely wife and our Buddhist faith with us all the way, we both came through. We also fought a legal battle for 15 months through the High Court against the company where I was exposed to asbestos, working as the Development Manager back in 1974 and won, thanks to David Cass at Irwin Mitchell. Chin up and best wishes, I believe all these experiences make for a better person.

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