It's now the end of Movember, and all around me folks have been growing the most ridiculous moustaches. I'm particularly aware of them this year, because in August this year I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The 'cancer' tag brings a lot of baggage with it however not all cancers are equal. Testicular cancer, if caught early is nearly always survivable and almost 3 months on I'm back to doing all of the things I used to do. The earlier it is diagnosed the less treatment you'll have to endure, I count myself as being very lucky indeed as mine was caught early.
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and after lifting a large quantity of rubble to back fill a patio, I noticed a pain in my groin. I figured I'd strained something and decided that if it was still an issue by Monday I'd go to the doctors. On closer examination I could feel a pea sized hard lump extruding from my left testicle. I made an appointment with my GP and for reasons that seem rather silly now, I held out for a male doctor, which meant waiting a week for an appointment. So for the next week I did what anyone else would do, I Googled my symptoms and worried an awful lot. Turns out there are a few things that can cause a lump; a cyst, a hernia or cancer to name but a few. Your GP can diagnose most of these. If they suspect cancer then you'll need an ultra sound. GPs rarely see testicular cancer, in fact it is so rare that statistically a GP may only see a case every 24 years ! It affects around 2000 men a year in the UK making it very rare indeed. To put it into perspective, over 250,000 people a year are diagnosed with some form of cancer. I should add that pain is not usually associated with testicular cancer, it is normally painless, unless it has spread and you may experience pain in your back or chest. The lump is the most obvious and usually the first sign.
My GP said I needed an ultra sound, I was told the NHS waiting time was two weeks. Two weeks seemed like an eternity to me, so decided to take advantage of my company healthcare and got an appointment two days later. This was when things moved very quickly. An hour after the ultra sound I had my first meeting with my urologist. He explained that it was most likely cancer, (the radiographer had already told me) and they wouldn't be able to tell for sure until it was removed and they could carry out the operation in two days time. Due to risk of spreading the cancer, they can only perform a biopsy after removing the testicle in an operation called a Orchidectomy. All a bit of a shock. It was then that I decided that I would tell people. My wife already knew, she had come to the ultra sound with me and I had told her of the lump when I found it. It was still a shock for her to find out that it was cancer. In fact the toughest part of this experience was telling the people I loved, especially my family. My Dad had prostate cancer two years ago and made a full recovery, because of that I assumed he would take the news better, but that wasn't the case. We also told our two boys, aged 6 and 9. Children pick up on conversations and I didn't want them worried that I had one of 'those' cancers.
This was an extremely emotional time, I'd like to think I faced it with a good sense of humour, which I mostly did, however there were times when that wasn't the case. At this point I did not know if the cancer had spread and would not know until a CAT scan took place following the operation. Knowing that testicular cancer has a 96% survivable rate is a comfort, but the uncertainty of not knowing what treatment I would have to endure was worrying to say the least. It was times like this that talking with other folks who had been in similar positions helped a great deal. I joined the Macmillan cancer discussion forum, which is a great place to connect with others going through the same experience. The team at work did all they could do to help cheer me up via the adventures of @sheepythesheep twitter feed, I recommend a look through his photo's. .
A few days after the operation the cancer was confirmed (the bad news), and the CAT scan showed that the cancer had not spread (the good news). The biopsy of the tumour showed it to be a mixed cell tumour. This is important to know so that the correct treatment can be given. Two weeks after my appointment with my initial meeting meting with my GP I had my first meeting with my Oncologist (Cancer doctor). He told me that because of the type of tumour they recommended a wait and see approach, and ruled out Chemotherapy. This was the best news of all, no more operations and no chemo. I now see my Oncologist every month, and have a blood test (to check for cancer markers), a chest X-ray (to check for any tumours) and a quick fondle to check for other lumps. I get anxious at each visit but I guess that's just part of the experience. I am fully recovered from the operation and everything is functioning normally, if you get my drift.
I hope that my story has made you realise that having cancer isn't as bad as it sounds. Acting early at the first signs can make a big difference to the treatment you'll have to undertake. I for one wasn't growing a moustache this Movember, but I thank all those who are making others more aware of this highly treatable and very survivable cancer.
Twitter @noelrooney
