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Living with incurable cancer: Marc’s Story | Macmillan Cancer Support | Macmillan Cancer Support | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Living with incurable cancer: Marc’s Story | Macmillan Cancer Support
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Video Summary
Summary
Core Theme
This content shares personal narratives of individuals facing life-altering health challenges, specifically cancer and the removal of the larynx, highlighting their journeys of loss, adaptation, and finding new meaning and purpose through support systems and rediscovering abilities.
Hi, my name's Mark and four years ago my
surgeon told me that unless I had my
larynx removed, I'd be dead in 3 [Music]
[Music]
weeks. Losing my ability to sing was
like losing an arm or a leg. Musical
theater is unique. It has a way of
tapping into people's emotions. Knowing
that you're the person doing that for an
audience and sensing that emotional
reaction is the most special feeling for an
actor. My identity pre-surgery was made
up of 30 years of doing different characters.
Post surgery, I had to find out who I
was without
theater. It was a dark time. That's why
I'm so grateful that I've been given the
chance to learn how to sing again with a new
new [Music]
voice. Before I received my diagnosis,
life was bonkers. I worked two jobs. I
was having immense amounts of fun and
not really caring about the fact that I
noticed my health was deteriorating
slightly. I could no longer run for a
train. I got to the point where I ran
for a train and I actually collapsed on
board the train. My initial trip to the
GP, I honestly expected to be told I had
a cold and my glands were up. Then he
examined my
neck and when he sat back down, my
doctor had gone
pale and he said, "I need to put you on
cancer." My doctor rang and said, "I've
down?" So,
uh, that's when I knew it was really bad news.
He said to me, "If we don't do um this
very large surgery called a
laryangectomy and also take your thyroid
out, if we don't do that in 3 weeks, you
could choke to death. I'd never be able
to sing again. My career was
finished. We didn't know if I'd live
through the surgery. There's a chance I
might not make it."
I just remember walking through the park
thinking, "Oh my god, this could be the
last time I do this." And I went to the
hospital. My husband took a selfie of
us. He was smiling and I could see how
difficult. I was too sick to work. My
cancer was growing, which meant my
mobility was getting
worse. And yet, I still had to make
something of each
day. It was really challenging because
I'd been so used to being
useful. I've kind of found a new
identity in home life and I really enjoy
it. I didn't think I would, but I actually
do. At the start of my journey, McMillan
were the first people I reached out to
through the pandemic. They were there
for me virtually. When things opened
back up, it dawned on me that perhaps I
had the capacity to give something
back. Bring it in.
McMillan McMillan had done a piece of
work around male engagement. Only 20 to
30% of the people coming through the
door center were men. We were approached
with an idea about starting a men's
support group. How many people did we
start with? Uh one second meeting with
one person. Yeah. And now we got up to
20 people. We wanted to create a
informal relaxed place where men can
discuss their challenges. And that's
been the success of the group to be
honest with you cuz men realizing
they're not on their own. We're quite a
loving group, aren't we? We are. It is a
becoming a real close-knit group which
is lovely.
Um, it's a bit like coming home after a long
long
journey. I've performed here so many
times, but it's it's a bit like putting
on a favorite piece of clothing. Where
do you want to go? Yeah. Where that
seat's done? 11. Jer was enormous fun
during every show. You'd think it would
be hard being directed by one of your
best mates, but actually you and I form
a really good working relationship with
Boundaries. It was amazing to see to see
what to watch you work is crazy. I get
to sit there every night, you know, I'm
chewing my
notebook, snapping pencils, and going
mad. But that's just the perfectionist.
You were the epitome of what kind of
most of us want in terms of a lead.
Thank you. I appreciate that. When I
started vocal psychotherapy, I didn't
believe it was going to work for me
because I don't have a larynx. So, let's
focus on the breath. I learned that the
rest of my body still remembers how to
sing. So, I was able to develop pitch
changes in my voice, which everyone said
to me was impossible. Blue
Blue
skies smiling at
me. When we sang our first song
together, I was smiling and laughing and
crying. It was a bit like somebody had
taken the blinkers off. I sound very
different to how I used to, but it is a
on. It's the best we've ever done
that. There we go. It said you'll never
bollocks. When you're diagnosed with an
incurable cancer, the first question you
ask is, "How long do I have to live?"
So right now my prognosis is is this
going to kill you? Yes. Is it going to
kill you tomorrow? No. Do we know how
But also dying isn't in my
diary. That sense of hope and
continuation just keeps pushing me forward.
forward.
being told you are incurable or
terminal. Um, it puts everything into
very sharp focus. The stuff I used to
worry about, like, do people like me? I
couldn't give a damn about anymore. And
it makes you focus on quality over quantity.
quantity.
Every moment I have, whether it's with
my family, whether it's with Perry or my
friends, all of those moments are
quality moments. That's the most
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