Page 22 - Inspire Magazine
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“A car crash
saved my life.”
No one wants to be involved in a car crash but,
in the case of Mick Duck, a car accident
actually saved his life.
The x-ray he had after the crash revealed a
shadow on his lung and further tests
confirmed he had early-stage lung cancer:
“It’s a lot to get your head around. You go into sung at his local pub and numerous events and
hospital after a car accident. You’re told you’ve not charity dos – and soon he had his answer and the
been injured but the tests have actually found foundation of a song.
something else. In my case, that was a large 6cm
tumour in my lung. “I decided to ‘do as the others say’. The doctors were
saying surgery was the best option so I had the
It came as a complete surprise. I had a cough – it was operation on 5th March 2018. The surgeon removed
a good ‘un at times. Sometimes I could cough all night half of my lung. I was then told I may need
but it would always get better so I wasn’t chemotherapy to mop up anything that may have
concerned by it and I certainly never even thought it been left behind.
could be a sign of something as
serious as lung cancer. “I’m 73, so why should Fortunately, the doctors were
I put myself through confident they got it all and I didn’t
Despite the size, I was told need chemotherapy. It was a good
it was still early-stage and it surgery when job they did, because I was later told
could be cured. The doctors radiotherapy could I wouldn’t have been able to have
recommended surgery but I do the job. chemo because my body wouldn’t
had my concerns. have been able to handle the
Is an operation potential side effects. As well as having
I thought, ‘I’m 73, so why should I really necessary?” lung cancer, I also have a heart
put myself through surgery when condition and Parkinson’s.
radiotherapy could do the job.
Is an operation really necessary?” I had the op on a Monday. By Thursday, I was back
in my own armchair. By Saturday, I was sat on stage
Moved by the music performing for a charity do.
After speaking to the doctors and nurses, Mick went
away to consider his options and started to write I’m still listening to the doctors. They said I couldn’t
things down in order to get things straight in his play golf for three months after my operation and, as
head. The words started to form lyrics – Mick has much as I wanted to, as well as I felt, and as
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