Ruth's Race for Life

In September 2005, in Belém, in the Brazilian Amazon where I lived, I was undergoing surgery to remove a "cyst" from my lung. A quick and simple operation I was told. Hours later, after waking up from the anesthetic, I was told I had lung cancer and had lost my left lung. I am extremely grateful to the surgeon Dr. Roger Normando, who reassured me through the whole process, and also to the oncologist Dr. José Pacheco, who stopped my chemotherapy after only 2 of the recommended sessions as he realized I was not reacting well. My white blood count had gone from 4000 to 600. I was not a smoker and lead a relatively healthy life and the doctors do not know what caused my cancer. I was lucky. I lost a friend exactly one year earlier to lung cancer. We need more research into not only the cure but the causes of cancer in order to prevent the pain and suffering - as well as the extremely expensive treatments. I was offered a drug to stop me vomiting that would have cost me £100 - I said I would rather vomit!! Help me to raise money for Cancer Research so that we can save more lives and help prevent this illness which is killing thousands every year. Thank you.