Men with cancer – Don’t suffer in silence!
Men don’t like to pretend that anything may be wrong or to talk about health issues, but we need to break that pattern. Don’t suffer in silence!
These are the words of testicular cancer survivor Trygve Wang (38) of Ballito in KZN, who believes that early detection saved his life.
Wang was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2013. His cancer was found early, in Stage 1 T3. In other words, it was the earliest stage of invasive testicular cancer, but the tumour had grown as far as the spermatic cord and may also have grown into blood vessels or lymph vessels.
He required surgery and 10 treatments of radiation.
“Picking up my cancer early saved me a whole world of pain,” he says. “Of course it is not pleasant to go to someone and let them fumble your nuts but I really saw the benefits of early detection when a mate of mine was diagnosed at a much later stage. He had an operation and chemo, and 18 months later he is still taking strain. If you’re concerned about something then get it checked out as soon as possible.”
Wang says that talking about his cancer has made all the difference, and that was part of his decision to once again sign up as a Mo Bro for the 2016 Campaign.
“When you communicate what is going on there are a number of benefits. It frees you as an individual and it allows the people around you to create support structures,” he says, adding that his wife and friends have been “really amazing”.
“To deal with cancer on your own is intolerable,” he says. “I had a wonderful oncologist, but their approach will always be much more clinical. When you are able to relate to another man as a person who has walked the same path and who understands the space you are in, it really takes away the stigma and some of the stress. It is also important to connect with others who have walked the same path and have come out the other end. You are not alone!”
For Trygve, his strong Christian faith has kept him grounded and better able to cope mentally with the challenges he faced.
“For me, there is a lot more to life than the here and now. That knowledge helps to keep me in a good, strong headspace. If you let your mental attitude go to pot, then you will walk a difficult, lonely road.”
Movember encourages men to sign up for free at www.movember.com. The rules require each Mo Bro to start 1 November clean shaven, and to grow and groom a moustache for the entire month, effectively becoming a walking, talking billboard for the 30 days of Movember.
Grow a Mo. Support a Bro. Commit to MOVE or hold and attend an event. For more info, download the Movember app on your mobile device. Follow Movember on social media: @MovemberRSA on Twitter or facebook/MovemberSouthAfrica.
