The fitness guru
Rod Buchanan is a New York City trained dancer, fitness and Barre guru, originally from Glasgow. He’s toured with Kylie Minogue, strutted the West End stage and for the last three years, he has taken the warm up at our London Twilight Walks.
One of our brilliant High Profile Influencers, Rod was given the all clear from a brain tumour diagnosis in 2002 and continues to champion our work for everyone affected.
If you’ve got a ticket to the London Twilight Walk on the 21 March, limber up! Rod will be warming up all the walkers!
Rod says: “The Twilight Walk brings together people fighting tumours, people who have lost loved ones from tumours, people who have survived tumours. Everyone is there for the same purpose, to raise awareness. The energy is electric!”
Rod Buchanan’s brain tumour symptoms
Rod shares his diagnosis story: “I was a dancer when I began to suffer from headaches in 2010 and they soon became continuous. After a few trips to the doctors I was referred to ENT who offered to fix my deviated septum (a problem with my nose). But they weren’t 100% sure this would resolve the headaches, so I decided to keep my squinty nose!
“One night was SO bad. I hadn’t slept in about 48 hours. I called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital and I thought, this is great I’ll definitely get seen to this time. I was wrong.
As always A&E was overwhelmed and must have thought well I “just” had a headache! I was sent home but I had a letter of referral to see a neurologist.
“Months go by, the pain gets worse, I’m now taking up to nine painkillers a day. I remember at my 30th birthday dinner, I was dribbling at the dinner table because I was on so many of them!
“Finally, I get the letter with the appointment to see the neurologist. It felt like I’d won the lottery but of course i had to wait a couple of months.”
At that consultation, Rod wouldn’t take no for an answer, wouldn’t take the ‘just headaches’ diagnosis: “I’m not leaving her room without the promise of a scan.”
The scan was still a month away, a timeline so many others have to deal with, and Rod’s symptoms were taking a serious turn.
“One time on my way home from work I was on the Tube walking through the pedestrian tunnel when I began to lose the feeling in my legs. This was terrifying, I remember thinking, just breathe Rod. You’ll be home soon when you can go to bed. But my bed wasn’t going to solve this.”
Rod’s scan day arrived, the pressure mounted. His anxiety was sky-high. Finally, the consultant said: “Mr Buchanan, we’ve found an obstruction on your brain.”
Rod faces the reality of his diagnosis
“After a year and a half of waiting, suddenly there was no time left,” reflects Rod. “I was in shock. I was terrified. But strangely, I was also relieved. Finally, I knew I wasn’t going mad.
“I was transferred to King’s College Hospital, one of the UK’s top neurology centres. And on that ride, I had to make a phone call I never wanted to make – I called my parents. I could barely speak, but I told them, don’t rush, it was the weekend… nothing might happen quickly.
“After more scans, I met my first consultant. And I’ll never forget his words: ‘Rod, you’re about a week away from dying. Your brain is drowning in fluid. We must perform emergency surgery to release the pressure and attempt a biopsy.’
“I couldn’t take it in. Then suddenly, another fear hit me. Oh my God. My friends are visiting. My parents will come. They’re going to find out I’m gay. Up until that moment, my mum just thought I was…fashionable.”
Rod’s first surgery didn’t go to plan and had to be stopped due to a bleed. He knew something was still wrong when the headaches returned during his recovery. A second operation was on the cards.
“I rested. I let the steroids do their job to reduce the inflammation. In a week, the tumour would come out.
“Those days, I lay in bed watching something beautiful unfold. My friends and family bonded in a way I never expected. We laughed so much during visiting hours. Afterwards, they went to dinner, supporting one another.
“In that week, my coming out happened – thanks to Tabitha, the tumour.
“Mum said something I’ll never forget: “I’d rather have a gay son who lives, than a gay son who died.”
“The surgery went ahead, and that night, it came out. My surgeon, Mr Bhangoo, my hero, had done it. A perfect surgery. And a perfectly symmetrical scar.
“Two days later, physio arrived, and it was time to get out of bed. The steroids had eaten away my muscles. I looked like a tiny pickle on a cocktail stick. But I was determined. I climbed those two steps to get discharged.
Beyond his brain tumour treatment
“That moment was a turning point. And from there, I began to recover and all of this, this fight, this resilience, led me to my passion for health, for wellness, for helping others find their strength.”
So, the next stop for Rod is The Twilight Walk on Saturday 21 March, where he’ll be joined by over 1,300 walkers to lead a sea of red t-shirts through the streets and parks of London.
“It means the world to me to be part of this day, to lift and energise the walkers and to be surrounded by people who all understand and share the same passion for this cause.”
Find out more and follow Rod Buchanan: BodByRod or find him on Instagram @bodbyrodpt
Rod has expanded his fitness retreats into the Italian region of Puglia. Find out more here with discounts to the brain tumour community.
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