David’s story
David was shocked to learn he had stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 54. “All I heard was ‘incurable’ – I don’t remember much after that,” he says. David spent the next week wondering what to do, before returning to North York General. “I looked into my doctor’s eyes and told him I’m going to fight.”
At NYGH, David was met with a team nearly as determined as he is. Specialists in the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care instantly formed a network around him, with oncologists performing a biopsy to find a treatment plan with the best outcome, while pain care specialists worked with him to manage his pain.
Every four weeks he comes back to NYGH’s Pain and Symptom Management Clinic, where he continues to be impressed by the personalized care he receives.
“They truly know me,” he explains. “They know I have a high pain threshold. So if I say my pain is high, they know it’s really high and they help me manage my pain at the level I need.”
David’s cancer journey began three years ago and he’s still fighting today. Thanks to the Freeman Centre at NYGH, David has been able to manage his treatment at home, surrounded by his family.
