After Taekwon-Do instructor Gerry Martin was told he had oesophageal cancer and was facing major surgery, he intuitively knew he needed to approach this health challenge as if it were an upcoming competition or grading. He reckoned the fitter he could be for the operation, logically the recovery should be easier. “I just thought I … Read more
A seemingly ordinary meal turned into a life-altering moment for 39-year-old landscape contractor Des Longstaff when he struggled to swallow a bacon and sausage sandwich. What initially seemed like a minor inconvenience led to a devastating diagnosis—stage-four oesophageal adenocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer that has already spread to his liver. The First Signs Longstaff, who is … Read more
When Helen Reilly started having difficulty swallowing starchy foods, like rice and potatoes, she wasn’t overly concerned. “I wasn’t particularly worried, because my mother, who lived until she was 93, used to have this same sensation of things getting stuck,” says Reilly, describing how a year or so earlier she had noticed a tender feeling … Read more