A Dumbarton dad whose life was turned upside down by a shock cancer diagnosis a year ago will mark his dramatic recovery by taking the lead role in a panto.
When the curtain rises on John Paul Lusk’s first performance in Elf it will be 12 months to the day of the scan which confirmed a tumour in his colon was cancerous.
After an incredible recovery, John Paul, 43, is preparing to tread the boards as the lead role in a production by the Mummers’ Theatre Group - whom he credits with providing an escape for him during gruelling cancer treatment.
He said: “A year ago I was terrified of what was coming next. Now 12 months later I’m going to be standing in an elf costume on a stage.
“If someone had said that to me last year I’d have said, absolutely no chance. On so many levels, absolutely not.”
John Paul was diagnosed after a check-up for ulcerative colitis, a condition he had battled for 25 years.
During a routine colonoscopy medics found a tumour.
John Paul explained: “Half way the surgeon stopped and asked me to call my wife, Lianne.
“He told me that there was an obstruction. Without tests he couldn’t say what it was, but he was quite sure it was a tumour and could be cancerous.
“If you have bowel cancer they can operate and just remove the cancer. But because I had colitis as well the whole colon had to come out.”
Doctors told JP that he would need a stoma. He then faced a terrifying wait for a scan to see if the cancer had spread which, thankfully, it hadn’t.
And the operation had unexpected benefits, giving John Paul a quality of life he hadn’t previously enjoyed.
He continued: “I felt quite good after my recovery.
“Because I’d had colitis for so long I was healthier than I had been. I hadn’t realised that. It was like a background ache had gone. I felt better, I started eating more.
“With the colitis for years I always struggled to put on weight, so I was always about 10.5 stone. I’m now up at 13 stone, I feel a lot healthier and a lot better.”
However JP’s journey was far from over, as he faced a gruelling six rounds of chemotherapy, during which time he threw himself into acting with the Clydebank-based Mummers.
He said: “We waited on the pathology for the tumour, and two days before Christmas we found that it was cancerous.
“They had taken out 47 lymph nodes and they were all clear. There was just a risk that there were small cells left in my bloodstream, so chemotherapy was recommended.
“I went up to the Beatson between February and the end of April and went through six rounds of chemotherapy. I rang the bell on Easter Monday and I’ve been told that I’m cancer free.
“Last year I joined the Mummers Theatre Group. I’d always wanted to join them, and a week after I joined I got the cancer diagnosis.
“It ended up being my escape throughout all of this.
“Only one or two people knew about my health.
“It was great. It was an escape for me and the best thing I could’ve had.
“For those two-and-a-half hours nothing else was happening. I didn’t have to think about operations, chemo or anything else.
“It was great to have this group of people whilst doing something you enjoy. I’ve made some really good friends and it was the perfect escape for me.
“It’s such a good group full of amazing, kind people who have given me so much support and made me feel so welcome. They didn’t all know what I was going through, but I felt so welcome regardless.
“I will always be thankful to them for that. It was a very hard time in my life and, without realising it, they made it that bit easier.”
And after overcoming one of the biggest battles anyone could face, JP says his cancer diagnosis changed his outlook on life - leading to him pulling on a bright green elf costume in front of hundreds of audience members.
He explained: “After everything that had happened I thought I’d just go for a main part. Rather than being in the background, enjoying the show and doing what I need to do.
“After the cancer I asked myself why not?
“I realised that it’s better to try it and be told no, than to stop yourself. And that attitude was because of everything I’ve been through over the past year. There’s no point wasting time.
“To my surprise I got the part.
“There was a bit where I thought, what have I let myself in for? I’d never done something like this before.
“Equally though I thought, with everything else I’ve been through, I can do this. Why would I let any nerves stop me?
“What’s the worst that could happen?
“It’s a cliche that life is short, but I realised how quickly it can all be taken away from you.
“Why put off something you want to do? You might not get another chance.”
And JP is now set to take to the stage at Clydebank Town Hall between November 16 and 19, with proud wife Lianne and kids Sophie (16) and Jack (13) watching on.
However he admits that seeing their dad in an elf costume is not something his teenage children were ever expecting.
“My wife said she’ll probably cry when she sees me on stage.
“My daughter is 16 and my wee boy 13, so they think it’ll be great. But I’ll be an elf. I think they’d rather I was something a bit more suave and sophisticated!
“It’s weird. The most I’ve ever sang in public before was karaoke at The Waverley about 20 years ago. That’s it. Now it’s a big musical number in front of an audience.
“The people behind the scenes have got me to a stage where I’m confident and happy I can do it. I wouldn’t have said that a year ago.
“It’s incredible how it’s turned around. It’s like night and day compared to last year.”
JP is set for another scan to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned next month, and has said - as long as the illness stays away - it has changed his life for the better.
He concluded: “Cancer has changed a lot of things in my life.
“If I’m fortunate enough that the cancer doesn’t come back then I would say that it changed my life for the better.”
Don't ignore the symptoms
John Paul has urged anyone experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer to get them checked out.
Admitting that he can understand feelings of embarrassment, he said he was guilty of trying to explain symptoms to himself - rather than just ignoring them.
And he feels that’s something we can all be guilty of.
JP said: “If there’s anything at all that you’re unsure about, speak to a doctor.
“If anything is changing in your bowels then there are so many different things it could be. With cancer the worst.
“It could be so many different things, they all have similar symptoms, but they all need medical attention.
“It is embarrassing to talk about sometimes. But don’t let it be.
“That conversation with the doctor could be the one that saves your life, and you don’t even know it at the time.
“Going through the stoma and everything else still gives you so much life that you don’t realise was open to you.
“But if you’re embarrassed then don’t be. Doctors have heard it all.
“I would never ignore symptoms. But what I found I would do, is that I’d start to explain them to myself. I’d say my colitis was playing up or it was just because I’m getting older.
“People won’t always ignore symptoms. But they will explain them away. I’d urge people not to try and explain symptoms to themselves. That’s when things go unnoticed.”
Symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- A persistent change in bowel habit
- Blood in the poo without other symptoms of piles
- Abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating
