Loss 50/101: Loss of a left arm and shoulder: Stephen Downes

The Silent Why: finding hope in grief and loss

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#100. When you lose your dominant arm, what's worse, the emotional toll, or the physical loss?
This is The Silent Why, a podcast on a mission to chat about grief and see if hope can be found in 101 different types of loss.
Loss #50 of 101: Loss of a left arm and shoulder
Meet Stephen Downes from Cornwall, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at the age of 22 when he found a lump in his neck on Christmas Day, 1997. After intensive radiotherapy that seemed to be it, until he felt another lump in the same place in 2022.
Diagnosed as a myxofibrosarcoma (a rare malignant, cancerous, tumour) Stephen was told he would need to have his left arm, shoulder and three ribs removed or the cancer would kill him. Just weeks later he had a 14-hour operation to remove it all in Derriford Hospital (a teaching hospital with an integrated Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit).
This is a very honest conversation about a very big, and very recent loss. Stephen talks about how others have responded to his amputation, when he does and doesn't need help, whether he minds people asking about it, why this hasn't been the hardest loss he’s had to face, and what mentality keeps him going and persevering to do the things he loves - like surfing.
For more about Stephen:
https://www.instagram.com/the_onearmedsurfer/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087628640542
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557078361569
https://www.linkedin.com/in/onearmedsurfer/
His Podcast: 'Chopped: Strength through Vulnerability': https://open.spotify.com/show/25U9PwuZPoHMzEmqklrten

Plus, the episode we mentioned about the loss of an arm, and a career (Loss 4/101 with Dan Richards): https://www.thesilentwhy.com/podcast/episode/4a76699e/loss-4101-loss-of-a-right-arm-and-shoulder-dan-richards

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