Super-fit David Macartney first noticed a small lump in his armpit – ‘when I mentioned it to my GP I could see from his face that something wasn’t right’
A runner who once completed the London Marathon has told how cancer resulted in his back breaking in eleven places.
Super-fit David Macartney was diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma and gruelling treatment left him “in agony, on morphine and unable to move the bottom half of my body”. But after a miraculous recovery, the 51-year-old is in remission, able to walk again and has successfully made it to the summit of the Snowdon mountain in north Wales.
David, from Hazel Grove, Stockport, told the Mirror it all started in early 2022 after he noticed a small lump under his armpit while getting changed after doing water sports. The father-of-three said: “I didn’t think anything of it at first.
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“But when I mentioned it to my GP a couple of weeks later, I could see from his face that something wasn’t right. Being put on a cancer pathway was a huge shock – and the eight weeks waiting for a diagnosis felt like forever.
“When I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, I was terrified. There’s no way around that. Hearing a life-threatening diagnosis forces you to face things you normally push away. I had real fear; the fear of dying, fear of leaving my family behind.”
David, an area manager with Topps Tiles, was supported by wife Lisa and his three children Charlotte, Ollie and Beau. He began intensive chemotherapy at the specialist Christie hospital in Manchester and joined a clinical trial. While the treatment successfully put his cancer into remission, the powerful medication had devastating side effects.
David said: “I’d always been fit, running several 10ks, the London Marathon once, cycling, hiking in the Peak District and Snowdonia, and occasional kayaking. Then suddenly I was in a hospital bed for six weeks, in agony, on morphine, unable to move the bottom half of my body.
“Cancer broke my back in eleven places. I went from being active to being unable to move, lying in an electric bed, dependent on others. That was one of the hardest parts, not just the pain but the mental shift to learning to accept help.”
At his lowest point, David needed two crutches just to move short distances. He said: “I’d gone from being an active dad to feeling like everything had been taken away. The pain was awful and the impact on my mental health was just as bad.
“There were times I felt I’d lost everything. Watching friends line up for a 10k when I couldn’t join was heartbreaking.
“My physio Nic was incredible. She was endlessly patient and listened, not just to my physical limits but to how everything was affecting my mental health. The team at the Christie helped break a pain cycle I’d faced for a long time and taught me to manage it properly through movement, exercise, and understanding my body again.”
Thanks to tailored pain management and physiotherapy David slowly rebuilt strength and confidence. Last November, nearly a year after finishing treatment, David achieved something he once thought was impossible. He said: “I managed to walk up Snowdon.
“Slowly and carefully, but I did it. I’ve even kayaked a couple of times again. Now I hike when I can and getting back on my bike is my 2026 goal. Life isn’t what it was before cancer, but it’s much better than where I was.
“The pain hasn’t gone away, but I no longer rely on medication every day. The team helped me understand my body and how to use it differently.
“I also learned something important through all of this – learning to say no. Blocking out the noise. Facing facts rather than fear. Protecting my energy became part of my recovery.
“I don’t feel angry about what happened. Cancer changed my life, but it also taught me how to live more honestly and deliberately. Fear doesn’t disappear, but you learn how to live alongside it.”
Professor Richard Berman, consultant in supportive oncology at The Christie, said: “David’s story shows that surviving cancer is not just about treating the disease, but about helping people live well during and after treatment. Supportive oncology focuses on pain management, physical rehabilitation, and psychological well-being to help patients regain independence and quality of life.”
David is now planning to take on the Manchester 10K for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Click HERE to sponsor him.
