A Place in the Sun: Jonnie Irwin thanks guests for compliment
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In a tell-it-all interview, the 48-year-old revealed how his vision went blurry while driving, which prompted him to seek medical attention. At the time, the father-of-three was filming on location in Italy for the property TV programme. “Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live,” he told Hello magazine.
Irwin had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and the tumour had spread to his brain.
“I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was on her own pretty much.
“That was devastating. All I could do was apologise to her. I felt so responsible.”
In the beginning stages of lung cancer, there are “usually no signs or symptoms”, the NHS warned.
READ MORE: Acholic stools are ‘the most common’ sign of pancreatic cancer in ‘initial’ stages
However, as the tumour continues to grow, certain symptoms might appear, such as a long-standing cough that does not go away after three weeks.
For people who already suffer from a chronic cough, the cough could get worse if they have lung cancer.
Lung cancer could also lead to recurrent chest infections, coughing up blood, or an ache or pain when breathing or coughing.
Other signs of a tumour in the lung includes:
- Persistent breathlessness
- Persistent tiredness or lack of energy
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
- Finger clubbing (when fingers become more curved or the fingertips get larger)
- Wheezing
- A hoarse voice
- Swelling of the face or neck
- Persistent chest or shoulder pain.
As one in two people are predicted to develop cancer during their lifetime, addressing symptoms of cancer when they first emerge could be life-saving.
The sooner cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes for the person affected.
As for cancer that has spread to the brain, this secondary tumour could lead to headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness.
A malignant brain tumour could also cause memory issues or changes in personality, depending on where the tumour is located in the brain.
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As with Irwin, a brain tumour can lead to vision issues, which should be investigated.
Since his diagnosis, Irwin has taken on the perspective that he is “living with cancer, not dying from it”.
While he acknowledges that cancer is “going to catch up” with him, Irwin said: “I’m doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible.
“I owe that to Jess [his wife] and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family.”
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Knowing that his “boys are going to grow up not knowing their dad”, he confessed: “That breaks my heart.”
The prognosis for a brain tumour is individualistic in that there are many different types and factors that influence a person’s chance of survival.
The NHS reiterated: “Survival rates are difficult to predict because brain tumours are uncommon and there are many different types.
“Generally, around 15 out of every 100 people with a cancerous brain tumour will survive for 10 years or more after being diagnosed.”
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