I came for a general health check in March ‘24 and though feeling very healthy at the time, you found a problem with my liver. You raised this with the NHS and it turned out that I had a 3.5cm HCC (cancer) in there and, a level of Cirrhosis. I wasn’t an alcoholic, only slightly overweight, but it seems unlucky!

Over the next year, there were a lot of hospital visits and stays. Things were tried to kill the Big C which failed. Then it got to the point where the cancer was growing rapidly towards a size where they were not allowed to transplant a liver (5cm). I was told I had around a month before that point!

That month was spent in Worthing hospital putting on up to 2kg a day due to Ascites (no fun at all). It did allow time though, for my daughter’s blood group to be matched to mine and she was ready to donate part of her liver (which I really didn’t want to happen). Luckily, Kings College Hospital (another amazing place) found me a liver.

Later writing a letter to the family of the donor was hard, getting across my sympathy and thanks, and I will always owe them so much.

Within days after leaving Worthing, I had a full liver transplant, gall bladder removed and an op on my pancreas, all done in February 2025.

After surgery I was told they’d found another 5 cancers in there, that the MRI/CT scans hadn’t found and, if they’d known, I wouldn’t have been allowed a transplant as the Big C could have spread!  Maybe not so unlucky?

Strangely, I left hospital, exactly 1 year ago, after Mary How found the problem!

I lost over 30% of my weight and muscle, so pushed hard to get healthy and now, feel great and am back, doing all the things I love.

It’s been an interesting and challenging time for sure, but life is good.

Martin Scampion