On 27 April Danielle Germaine from Middleton will run the London Marathon three years after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
The diagnosis came out of the blue after she noticed a change in her swallow. There was no family history or anything else to alert her, but she had a 6cm mass in her oesophagus – the pipe that connects your mouth with your stomach.
There were tests, waits for results followed by chemo and radiotherapy in the summer of 2022, at one point not being able to eat or drink and using a feeding tube.
Danielle is a runner and says this has helped her get through the cancer and the mental trauma of diagnosis and treatment. She even ran the Great North Run in 2022 between the chemo and an operation to remove part of her oesophagus.
“The endurance from running helped with treatment. It’s the mental strength to keep going when it’s tough. Getting better has been like another physical challenge like when you train for a race” she said.
“When I couldn’t control what the cancer was doing or what treatment I was going to get offered, running and keeping fit was one thing I could do to help myself. I was angry when I found out that to get rid of it the cancer would require life changing treatment. The oesophagectomy means my stomach is smaller now and restricts how much I’m able to eat.
“I accepted that the cancer was going to take enjoyment of eating away and I told it I wasn’t going to let it take running away from me and that it was not stopping me spending time with my family.”
Danielle ran with South Leeds Sisters before Covid and is now a member of the South Leeds Lakers running club.
“I found a lot of support from people I know in the running community – they’ve been really supportive and checked in on me and cheered on my recovery milestones.
She’s a regular at Middleton Woods parkrun
“I did the Couch to 5k programme after surgery and some weeks it took me 40 minutes to get round. It was tough because I had my lung collapsed for surgery and two large cavity openings from open surgery to recover from.
“Whatever pace I go at, I always get lots of support from the lovely volunteers and feel welcome to join in every week.”
Danielle is keen to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer whose symptoms include difficulty swallowing, heartburn and losing weight when you’re not trying to, you can find out more here. She is also raising funds for OPA Cancer Charity which supports patients with oesophageal and gastric cancers. You can donate at bit.ly/DanielleOPA
Main photo: Danielle competing in the West Yorkshire Winter League in Middleton Woods
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