Still all a little unclear, however unfortunately today's results didn’t quite give me the news I had hoping for.

In a nutshell it was what I would probably call ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ news….On the plus side the CT scan itself has not picked up anything ‘new’ in the lungs. That is clearly a relief and something which I am very much clinging onto. On the ‘not so good’ side, my CEA blood result levels have come back with an abnormally high number…..36. It may well be that it is nothing to write home about, however on the other hand could indicate that the cancer is back somewhere else.

The only way of knowing for sure is to have a PET scan which should give all the answers Alice needs. She wants to move on this quickly which was great to hear….I will be booked in for the PET scan back in Oxford again at some point in the next 2 weeks, with a follow up appointment to see Alice again on the 3rd July.

So it’s the waiting game for now…….and in the meantime it’s more of the same, with running taking center stage as usual:-)

Will update again on the 3rd July when I know more.

With a few days now since surgery I am really pleased to report that everything went to plan.

As before I managed to make it just a 'one night stay' and was home with Catherine and the boys on Friday. I felt well enough to get back to work today and also have just come back from a 7 mile run which I have to say felt wonderful to be able to do...the weather was perfect for it and it was the ideal end to 'a Monday':-).

Whilst I didn't get to actually speak to John after the surgery, his assistant who was there throughout the whole operation told me everything went well and they got it out with keyhole. I will be back to see John again in 10 days or so for an update which almost certainly will be followed by the usual CT scan.

Given how things have gone I am so pleased we decided to press on with the surgery. Onwards and upwards!.

As suspected following an appointment with John since my last update, it's off to the surgery table again for me:-). Too be honest I was really pleased to hear that this is the route he wants to take. The fact that I recovered reasonably well last time I think gives him confidence that this is the best option given the situation.

So I am booked in to take out this latest cancer instalment on Thursday...same place, same procedure as before. Assuming everything goes like it did last time then hopefully I can be out of hospital a day or 2 after surgery and then back to work and running sooner rather than later.

Having finally shaken off a recent annoying injury, it's been great to now be in a position to 'bank' as many miles as I can in the run up to surgery. Physically I really do feel great. I am also definitely mentally ready to take on the challenge once again....

Hope to report back all went well with the op...I'm sure it will

It's all becoming a bit tiresome now:-)..unfortunately I have to report that after a recent CT, the cancer is back in the lungs yet again. Looking at the positive, which I am most definitely, this time it's only in one of them (the left) and it's also very small, so should only be one keyhole surgery.

Alice only told me last week and so I am still yet to know for sure what the treatment will be. The next step will be for John Pilling (my lung surgeon) to contact me and let me know what he wants to do. I suspect it will either be to get me in for immediate surgery, or it maybe that he wants to leave it a while to see if anything else develops so he can 'get it all in one go'. Let's see.

I have decided to 'park' the London marathon this year and instead focus on something a bit later in the year. Catherine and I quite fancy a trip out to Venice, so maybe we will kill two birds for a quick marathon followed by a few days of sightseeing!.

It’s been 3 weeks now since the lung surgery and I most certainly feel ‘back on form’ again. As it had been a while since I felt the buzz of running in a race (last one being London marathon back in April), I decided to enter a local 10k last weekend. I can’t deny it was fantastic to be back, remembering ‘that feeling’ once again. As I was aware that the lungs are not back to where they were pre-surgery I didn’t push too hard – it wasn’t about ‘the time’, it was really just about the ‘knowing I could still do it’.

I am up to around 25 miles a week now and over the coming months my plan is to gradually increase that mileage in the slow build up to the London marathon 2017 which I have in my mind to do again….for my friends at Beating Bowel Cancer of course!:-)

Yesterday I met up with Alice to discuss the next steps. She was very pleased with how both the surgeries went and also how my recovery was going. I was naturally thrilled to hear that she didn’t feel it was necessary at this stage to do any more chemo. She explained that this maybe something which will come into play if and when I have a recurrence….let’s hope not eh!.

It’s funny but as time passes since I was first diagnosed (back in Dec 2013), somehow I feel differently about everything....I am now acutely aware that ‘cancer’ will probably always be a part of my life in one way or another and that I will go from scan to scan in the hope that I will never see it again. In a strange sort of way it is a kind of motivator for me as I remind myself how much easier it is to get over treatment (whether it be surgery and / or chemo / radio) the fitter you are…..now as I go out on each run, whether it is a training run or a race, in the back of my mind I have this underlying thought.

At the end of the day I remain determined to not allow Cancer to run my life….if it comes back so be it….I know I will be ready again for ‘the fight’ should this be the case. However, while I remain ‘free of it’ as I now am, I will carry on enjoying and living life to the full. If there is one thing that all the ‘ups and downs’ over the past 3 years has taught me it’s that with the right support around you, coupled with a focused and positive attitude you really can beat it.

For anyone else out there who is unfortunate enough to ever hear those dreaded words “you have cancer”, remember this doesn’t mean your life is over…..quite the contrary, it can often be a chance to refocus your mind and energies on something far more positive!

So with the second lung op now just over 1 week behind me, I am thrilled to say that I am feeling great and ready to face whatever more is thrown at me...hopefully nothing more:-).

Fortunately once again it was another keyhole which has meant a speedy recovery. Other than a little tight chested I am all good. I have managed a few runs this week which has made such a difference to how I feel!. Another oncologist appointment in a couple of weeks and let's see what happens next.

As I write this I am reminded once again that is those who have to live with someone who is going through cancer treatment that is so often forgot...I am so lucky to have Catherine, my wife 'on my team'...she has been through the whole thing and stood by me every single step the way!. Never have the wedding vows of 'through sickness and in health' been so tested in our marriage...well I can say Catherine 'has been tested' and passed with flying colours!!. Thankyou so much Catherine, we move on 'once again' sweetheart! X

So it's been a month now since the lung surgery. The wound itself it now almost completely healed and I am feeling good. Keeping the running going has always been an important part of what has got me through the treatment, as I know I have said on numerous occasions before. It has been no exception this time and despite the fact that I have had to lower the distance I am doing on each run, just 'getting out there' has been so important.

My lungs feel a bit tight however I am confident that if I can build it back up slowly then I will be back to where I was before sometime soon.

With just over 2 weeks until the second lung operation (14th Sept), I intend to keep banking the mileage as best as I can.

During the last few weeks I have been really pleased to be able to reach out to a few people who have been in touch with me through 'runthroughcancer'. If there is one single piece of advise I would give it would be to 'not let the cancer dictate your life'. Make the cancer 'fit around you', not the other way round. Stick to that rule and you WILL get through it!!.

With a week now gone since the lung surgery I thought I would post a quick update.

So with some anticipation there I was back on 'the slab':-) last Thursday. Catherine drove me in early for what ended up being a really successful day. To cut a long story short, the surgery went well and they managed to take it out using keyhole as planned (there was an outside chance they may have had to open me up however this proved not to be necessary....phew!). I was told that it maybe a 3-5 day stay, however fortunately they 'let me loose' the day after. It was great to get back into my own bed on the Friday night. Recovery has been going well with the painkillers doing their job nicely!. I was back in work on Tuesday which was great to be able to do as well.

No running yet, however I am hopeful and confident that next week I can get the trainers back on.

I have to admit that I had expected to feel very out of breath from the surgery, however so far it is feeling good...lets see what happens when I start running again!.

Surgery number 2, first week in September...bring it on!.

Unfortunately I found out last week that the cancer is back...this time in my lungs. It’s difficult to describe how I feel on being told for the third time that I will go ‘under the knife’. Sometime I joke to myself that I feel I am running out of organs for it to go:-)

Thanks to the support of everyone over the past 2.5 years, in particular my family, I can honestly say that I feel completely mentally ready to take on 'the fight' once again….third time lucky this time hopefully!.

The positives from what I have been told are that despite the fact that there are ‘deposits’ which have been picked up on both lungs (following a PET scan), they are very small and also very slow growing. What this means in practise is that they are both treatable and more importantly curable. Of course, unlike the liver which grows back, this won’t be the case for the lungs. However the fact that I already have a fairly ‘fit and healthy set’ should mean that this stands me in much better position to recover quicker. Following a meeting with my surgeon yesterday the plan is to operate late July.

The London marathon which I did back in April was another reminder of how lucky I have been throughout the past 3 years since diagnosis……the fact that I have been able to maintain my running throughout has been quite literally a ‘life saver’. I see no reason why this cannot continue following this new surgery, although of course I am mindful that it may well have some impact more directly given where it is. As I did before I intend to get myself as fit as possible beforehand and so will keep ‘racking up those miles’ in the coming weeks.

Bottom line is that I remain very positive for the prognosis following surgery and I just hope that this really will be the end of it once and for all and I can put my ‘cancer days’ behind me. Once again thank you to everyone who has so kindly donated…..just over £18k now which I am thrilled with!!!! – THANK YOU!....only £2k more to go.

With only 5 weeks to go and being mindful that I haven't posted for a while, I thought I would drop all those following me a quick update on runthroughcancer!.

From a health point of view all is good!!. I had a recent blood test and met up with Alice for the usual follow up....she told me that everything was great. "Keep doing what your doing Tom" was the message loud and clear. I will see her again in June / July after the next CT / MRI

Training has been going well and with the London marathon just round the corner it is dawning on me that my final challenge is nearly upon me:-). I did the Wokingham half marathon a couple of weeks back and the Surrey half marathon today as part of the training plan...both went well with a time of around 1hr 31mins in each. The last race prior to London is the Cardiff world half marathon in 2 weeks which I am really looking forward to...should be fun as I try (and fail) to chase Mo Farrah down:-).

I have found myself recently looking back on the cancer journey I have been on over the last 2.5 years and I am reminded of how lucky I am to be here, particularly feeling as I do. When I was in the middle of treatment I recall constantly 'thinking and living' cancer. Now that I am over a year 'post' treatment it feels good in so many ways to get back to feeling 'normal' not only physically but mentally as well. There are so many who have got me through this. Whilst having your own focus and determination is a critical factor in getting through cancer, it cannot be done without the support of others. Without my medical team, friends and family it just simply wouldn't have been possible to get through it.

The Beating Bowel Cancer team, who I am running London on behalf of are such a wonderful group of individuals who I owe such a great deal to. Their support was invaluable to me and I am committed in raising as much as I can for them so they can help others in the same way they helped me.

Thank You all to those who have already donated!. However if you haven't done so and would still like to (go on, you won't regret it!!!:-), you can by click on:

http:www.justgiving.com/runthroughcancer/