Cardiff Rugby Life President Peter Thomas has opened up on his battle with cancer and paid a glowing tribute to all the medical staff involved in his treatment.
The long-serving Arms Park administrator has undergone surgery and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He says he feels very fortunate that the condition was picked up on as a consequence of him contracting Covid.
The 79-year-old, who was Cardiff chairman for more than two decades, is now looking forward to getting back to watching rugby, with the new season just around the corner.
Speaking about what he has been through, Thomas said: “I am very happy to talk about it simply because I had the most wonderful treatment and the most wonderful people looking after me.
“It all started in December of 2020. I had just come back from a Challenge Cup game up in Newcastle and when I woke up the following morning I felt quite rough. Anyway, it turned out I had Covid and I was really pretty poorly for about three and a half weeks then, into the new year.
“One day during that period, I felt quite breathless, so my daughter took me down to casualty at the Heath and they kept me in overnight. Then the following morning the consultant came round and checked me over. He said I could go home, but he wanted me to see a thoracic consultant because he wasn’t happy with my breathing.
“So I went to Llandough Hospital and met a number people out there and had CT scans, MRI scans and various other checks. They did exhaustive tests to be fair to them, over a number of months.
“At the end of that process, they then asked me to go back in, so I went in with my wife Babs. We met the consultant, the senior nurse and a surgeon and they told me there was a cancerous nodule at the top part of my right lung. They recommended surgery as early as possible.
“It blows your mind when you sit there with your wife and someone says to you that you’ve got lung cancer. It’s a shock to the system. You never expect it’s going to be you. I thought ‘What?’ It came as an absolute shock to me.”
Thomas underwent surgery at Llandough in March of this year to remove the cancerous part of his lung and then had four rounds of follow-up chemotherapy.
“I have always kept fit, but before I went into hospital I got myself very fit. My weight was right, I was in good physical condition and I am convinced that was of immense value to me,” he says.
“Mentally, I was very strong and positive and I am still like that today. You have got to be that way if you are going to beat this.
“That’s the way I have been brought up from my days living in Merthyr and with the family. I have always been a fairly strong-minded person and I said from day one this wasn’t going to beat me and let’s get this sorted out.
“After I had the surgery, Jiffy (Jonathan Davies) introduced me to an oncologist, Jason Lester, and he arranged the chemo for me, every three weeks. It’s about a two and a half hour procedure each time. The next procedure will be a CT scan just to see that things are clear.
“I’ve still got a way to go. I’ve got no doubt about that. When I go to the gym now, I’m probably at about 65-70 per cent of where I was before this. It’s probably going to take a year for the lungs to compensate. I still get a bit breathless and a little bit of dizziness. I am not out of the woods yet, but whatever it takes, I am going to get through it.”
Reflecting on the whole experience, he said: “If it wasn’t for Covid, they wouldn’t have found it. I could be here today and it could have spread a hell of a lot more. It’s strange how fate can take a hand.
“I was very fortunate and the treatment I had was superb. Wherever I went, whoever I saw, I can’t speak highly enough of them. The enduring factor for me was they were kind people, they were caring people, they were patient. They treated me with such dignity.
“They were very understanding and very honest. They didn’t pull any punches. All the people I dealt with were brilliant. The staff at Llandough were just unbelievably good.”
Thomas, a long-time benefactor of Cardiff who has pumped some £14m into the club over the years, is now relishing getting back to watching rugby.
“I am looking forward to the season starting. With Faletau, Liam, Timani and Thomas Young coming into the fold, I think they will add a bit of quality there and hopefully we will have a better season than last year.
“I’m fine in terms of attending games. I will be going up to Glasgow with the boys in a couple of weeks and down to South Africa. I will be going everywhere with them as normal.”
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