I discovered I had cancer in July 2018, after going to my doctor about a bump on my neck. I had no cold-like symptoms, so my doctor referred me to an ear, nose and throat specialist for a biopsy.

I knew something was wrong when the ENT asked to see me on a Saturday. My doctor told me that I had a head and neck cancer called squamous cell carcinoma caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

It was hard to process the words...