Lung Cancer: My Story

By Peter Oliver

Peter, a non-smoker, was diagnosed in February 2010 with stage 4 lung cancer after visiting the doctor complaining of a sore back. His life changed dramatically, as did his family’s. ‘Lung Cancer- My Story ‘ tells Peter’s story from the day of diagnosis to his passing in November 2012.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadOnTime BV
• Release date: Apr 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781742843018

Book preview

In 2007 Peter Oliver scored his dream job – working at the International WaterCentre, Queensland, coordinating the Masters of Integrated Water Management; a program that combines the world-class knowledge and teaching skills of four of Australia′s leading universities (The University of Queensland, Griffith University, Monash University and The University of Western Australia).

Peter has been passionate about water, land and people management for as long as he can remember, and in 2012 was awarded the Healthy Waterways Champion Award for South East Queensland. Student numbers in the new Masters of Integrated Water Management Program have increased from eight students in 2008 to 115 students in 2012. Feedback is very positive. Students include engineers, community development workers, chemists, ecologists, water planners and agricultural scientists, among other professions. Students come from over 20 countries, including Australia. They have generally worked on messy, wicked, real-world water problems, and return to university to learn more about what to do for themselves and others to take action and solve these messy water problems.

Now Peter is learning his way through the most messy, wicked problem in his life – how to deal with lung cancer. By February 2010 the cancer had spread from Peter′s right lung to his spine and then to his hips. By July 2012 it had spread to his brain – a total of 13 tumours. A marathon canoeist, Peter has shown he is physically determined and can be very stubborn. He also has great support from his wife and kids. Throughout 30 sessions of chemo and biotherapy, 10 sessions of radiation on his bones, emergency surgery for peritonitis caused by a suppressed immune system, and a further 10 sessions of whole-brain radiation for the new brain tumours, Peter has remained stoic and positive. He has kept working whenever he could, teaching students, giving workshops, writing two academic papers and a book, leading a water education program in Indonesia, and partaking in a field trip to the Kimberley region in north-western Australia.

But what of lung cancer? In 2010 the Australia Federal Government took $6 billion in tobacco taxes, spent $61 million¹

in ‘shonky’ advertising and then allocated only $6 million to research. That’s 0.1% of tobacco taxes collected being spent on lung cancer research. Our current Health Minister the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP and previous ministers should hang their heads in shame.

Peter wants to see ethics and evidence-based health advertising about lung cancer. He wants to see governments tell all the facts about lung cancer. Of the 7,500 people who will die of lung cancer this year²

, one-in-eight have never smoked – that′s over 900 people! Our recent annual road toll for the entire country was 1,291³

people, and don′t we rightly make a fuss about that.

However, it seems that in Australia, once the spin doctors take over the health departments′ advertising and health promotions programs on lung cancer, ethics and evidence go out the window, and all we get is: Don′t smoke and you won′t get lung cancer.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lung Cancer – My Story

Peter Oliver

B.Sc. (Hons) Dip. Ed. M.Ed. PhD

[e-mail]

Speaking out at my retirement talk in 2012.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the more than 7,500 lung cancer victims who die every year in Australia and the families and friends they leave behind. I do not know you all, but I grieve for you and your loved ones. The scourge of lung cancer reaches everywhere, irrespective of geography, race or culture. In my home town of Maleny, Queensland, I know that lung cancer has recently taken Mr Ray Burgess, Mr Alan Heading and Ms Jill Jordan – three thoroughly decent people who were much loved and are now greatly missed by their families and friends.

In particular, I dedicate this book to their memory.

Lung Cancer – My Story

Copyright © 2012 Peter Oliver

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Smashwords Edition

The information, views, opinions and visuals expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the publisher. The publisher disclaims any liabilities or responsibilities whatsoever for any damages, libel or liabilities arising directly or indirectly from the contents of this publication.

A copy of this publication can be found in the National Library of Australia.

ISBN: 978-1-742843-018-X (pbk.)

Published by Book Pal

www.bookpal.com.au

Acknowledgements

Ann, Jayne, Katie, Michael – my darling wife and dearest children – I love you.

I want you to know this every day. I will soon not be here to tell you. Please share this story with others. There are thousands of us who are in the same boat in Australia every year. Lung cancer took our lives away. And it stands to take many more unless more research on early detection, treatment and cure is undertaken urgently.

Our dear family and friends have donated the money, so we can tell our story in this book – not the government, not a drug company, nor an anti-cancer non-government organisation. They donated nothing when asked. We asked for support and they gave us nothing. Instead, there were cries of a conflict of interest, If we did this for one group, even the most disadvantaged group in terms of mortality, we’d have to do it for everybody. (So that’s a reason not too, I thought?!)

Family and friends gave with knowledge and love. Marek and Libby Malter, Dean Cameron and Jenny Allen thank you. To all the people at