A cancer patient has launched a video diary to chart his journey from diagnosis to ongoing treatment - and how he is harnessing his love of rave music to help him through.

Paul Coppell’s ‘Dancing with Cancer - A Raver’s Tale’ YouTube vlog went live at the end of November and since then it has attracted thousands of views.

He said he had been encouraged by his wife Sheila to produce the ‘warts and all and unscripted’ video diary.

Paul, 63, of Onchan, was diagnosed with cancer of the base of his tongue in October and is currently half-way through intensive chemo and radiotherapy treatment at Clatterbridge.

Until becoming ill last year he had been fit and healthy, and regularly played sport including badminton, tennis and also pickleball for which he has competed, post-diagnosis, in the English National Championships, reaching the quarter finals in the men’s doubles.

He had put a recurring cough down to a minor infection but when he started having difficulties swallowing food, he went to see his GP and was soon placed on an urgent treatment pathway for suspected throat cancer.

Paul came up with the idea for the vlog at 4am one morning. ‘By that time, I had done quite a bit of research, but it all felt impersonal and too professional. It needed to have someone going through it to talk about the experience from the heart,’ he said.

His videos cover his diagnosis, counselling, treatment and perhaps uniquely Paul’s love of dance/rave music - with each one named after a track or lyric and each having a positive message at the end for others who are undergoing cancer treatment.

He said: ‘Music is a massive part of my cancer journey.’

Paul, who was born in Liverpool but moved to the Isle of Man when he was 10, said he had always been obsessed with music since childhood. ‘There are videos of me dancing on my own like a lunatic. That’s pretty much never stopped!’ he said.

Following divorce from his first wife in the 1980s, he found a new lease of life which coincided with the birth of Chicago house music.

‘I became completely obsessed,’ he said.

He said a ‘sneaky trip’ to London to see Disclosure at Alexander Palace 2014 had ‘lit a spark in me’ and since then he has attended live dance music events including Ministry of Sound, Cream and The Steel Yard, and last year - just before his confirmed diagnosis - he had a five-night holiday on his own clubbing in Ibiza.

When he met his specialist in Liverpool a few weeks ago, his brother asked if they could still attend an event that they had booked. ‘It made me laugh at the time as I knew the answer would be no. The answer wasn’t no - we were actually encouraged to do it,’ said Paul.

And so, they went to see Faithless at the O2 Victoria in Manchester and the following night they went to an all-nighter to see his heroes CamelPhat.

‘At the end I felt unbelievably emotional,’ said Paul. ‘It was a euphoric weekend which has left me with some incredible memories which will certainly be in my head when I’m having my treatment. The sounds are always there and I’ve no doubt that will help me through.’

He said making and watching the video diaries has provided counselling for him and it has also helped his wife feel part of the journey, despite their enforced separation while he is in Liverpool for his treatment.

Paul, who had a career in the courts service, is due back to the island in February. He says the prognosis was good before he started the treatment, and this is expected to clear the cancer.

You can read his vlog here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV9Ar0ltDUMTuf7qQb02ajw