Barry raising a pint and smiling

World Cancer Day - Barry's story

Whitstable grandad Barry Sullivan spoke to us on the very day he was told he was cancer-free.

Barry, 68, said, ‘I’d been having symptoms but assumed they were caused by my hiatus hernia.

‘My wife and one of my four children kept pushing me to go to the doctor, but it took me six months of nagging really to actually do it. When I did, I had blood tests that came back clear and was then sent for an endoscopy in December 2023, four or five days before Christmas.

‘The guy doing the endoscopy said he could see a shadow on my stomach and I’d need a CT scan. I said, “Oh yeah, in the New Year?’ and he said, “No, tomorrow.”

‘I had the endoscopy, and then Hannah Bradshaw [Macmillan Upper GI Clinical Nurse Specialist at East Kent Hospitals] called to tell me it was cancer. All I remember of that call was the word cancer and the word manageable. All the rest went over my head.’

Barry had been diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), a rare cancerous tumour of the digestive system. Some sufferers have no symptoms. Others may experience abdominal discomfort, vomiting, blood in your stool or vomit, a painless lump in the tummy, fatigue, and a high temperature.

Barry continued: ‘I had chemotherapy and then had the tumour, which was the size of a grapefruit when it was discovered, removed this January. My cancer journey was 12 months. Just this morning I had a call with the doctor to say I’m cancer free.

‘While I will continue with Imatinib and have regular checks, I am able to make plans again. Last year we didn’t feel like we could plan any holidays. But we’re now off to Canada this year, and we’ll take the grandchildren away for a week in the summer and visit the battlefields in France for a few days. It feels like we can bring some normality back to our lives.

‘I had the chance to meet Hannah in person just recently, and we talked through it all. It’s not nice to be told you have cancer. In the late 50s and early 60s, when I was growing up, cancer was pretty much a death sentence. But that’s not the case now. My friends and family, and people like Hannah, who were part of my care, made it as easy as it could be.

‘The level of care I received from everyone in the NHS was outstanding. I have been at Kent and Canterbury Hospital for my regular check-ups and blood tests, to see the oncologist consultant and the oncology pharmacist, and then there’s been Hannah as my main point of contact.

‘Some days have been good, others not so good, but I know I’ve had the best care available.

‘I would recommend that anyone experiencing cancer find someone to talk to. Whether that’s the Macmillan support services, family, or friends, find somebody. Don’t try to internalise it and face it on your own. You can do this, but it helps to have support.’