Mick - Interview 17
More about me...
When he first discovered he had a rash on his penis Mick thought it was due to the new underwear he was wearing. However when it became persistent and developed into blisters Mick went to see his GP. His GP told him it was thrush and gave him some ointment with which it could be treated. A second GP continued the treatment. The symptoms failed to respond to the ointment, so Mick sought a third opinion from another GP who immediately referred him to his local hospital as he thought it might be cancer.
At the hospital they took a biopsy of the affected area, which showed cancerous cells. Mick was then referred to a Specialist Penile Cancer Centre where he had a partial penectomy and reconstructive surgery. He was given no treatment choices but the consultant fully explained about the surgical procedure. Originally, the intention was to use a skin graft from his thigh but as the surgeon managed to reconstruct with surplus skin from the penis, this was deemed unnecessary. He was pain free throughout and he was discharged home three days later. As Mick is a diabetic, an additional worry had been the efforts to keep his blood sugar stable during the procedure, however all went well.
Mick felt unprepared to face the after effects of the surgery, especially the potential for difficulties with sexual function. This, he feels, doesn’t affect him personally but for a younger man would be very serious. He was quite self-sufficient throughout his treatment. He told his closest family and friends (if they asked about it, but they rarely did) and they did his shopping for him until he was able to get out – which was a week after discharge.
Mick now lives his life as normally as he did before the surgery. He is quite philosophical about living from day to day and ‘getting on with things’. He admits to feeling apprehensive before check-ups and scans in case the cancer has spread but so far his fears have been groundless. He currently attends hospital for check-ups every six months and is awaiting his final CT scan.
Mick visited his GP who told him that it was thrush. Treatment for this only made his symptoms worse, so he sought a second opinion and was referred to hospital.
Mick visited his GP who told him that it was thrush. Treatment for this only made his symptoms worse, so he sought a second opinion and was referred to hospital.
Well I went to the toilet and I found out I had this rash on my down below and I thought well there’s something wrong here. So I went to see my GP. And he tell me it was thrush. He were treating me for it and that. And it just wouldn’t go away. I went back to him again, he give me some more ointment and that. In the time that my surgery where I was, it changed. So I had to go and the GP who I had, he retired. So I saw, I had this other GP. She was giving me the same. It was a different doctor altogether. And it was going worse instead of getting better so I went for a second opinion. And this other GP he had a look at it and he sent me straight to the hospital.
Mick didn't talk to his consultant about how treatment would affect his ability to have sex because his wife had passed away, but he would have wanted to discuss it if he was younger.
Mick didn't talk to his consultant about how treatment would affect his ability to have sex because his wife had passed away, but he would have wanted to discuss it if he was younger.
Were you given any information on how the surgery may affect you on a on a day-to-day basis, how it might affect your quality of life?
No not really, no. No like I said I mean at my age. I mean I was 68 when I had the operation and I think we were we were saying it was my sex life or owt like that. It…you know with my wife how she was, bless her, because I mean she died she was real poorly like, you know, she had septicaemia and all that, you know, and she just died. There was nowt in that way sex or owt because it... it might do on a younger person, you know what I mean, in their 50s, 40s or 50s, touching their 60s, you know with a… that’s about it. They might say something to them. But me, no they didn’t say nowt to me about it so... about my sex life or owt like that. They say I couldn’t have sex. They said I could have sex. So…there’s no... well I can still have sex if I want it. But I just got to go… I might have to get bit stronger Viagra. You know to get the feeling... or I might not have to, I might just get the feeling, with a younger person. I don’t know. I’ve never been through all that so I don’t know so I can’t tell anybody about that bit. If I were a person bit younger than me or... who has had this operation know more about that side than what I do.
Mick has faith in his doctors; he doesn't let his illness worry him and gets on with life as normal between follow up appointments at the specialist centre.
Mick has faith in his doctors; he doesn't let his illness worry him and gets on with life as normal between follow up appointments at the specialist centre.
It’s just seeing the specialist, he checks it and that and everything, every so often when they send for me, I go. And like I say I’ve got to go on the 21st of this month. Just for a CT scan and see if it’s all clear, properly all cleared. And once this one, I think this will be my last one. And then I’ve got to go and see him in 6 months time, next year. I’ve already got my appointment for next year and all, you know to go and see him [chuckles] I’ve got it that early. But you get your appointments early to what you go in and say well I want to see you. I say that’s good about him. Sometimes they cancel you. But that’s only because there’s an emergency on and they can’t see you. That’s emergency operations. Which is that’s understandable. But the next appointment, you do go. So it’s…it’s err you know it’s alright. You know he just talks to you and just, well everything’s going alright. ‘How are you?’ ‘I’m alright. Getting on with my life. Getting on what I’m going to do and what I ain’t going to do’. It all doesn’t worry me anymore. It’s not worth it. If you let it worry you, it’s going to ruin your life. So you might as well just carry on what you... your normal life, what you’ve been doing before and don’t worry about it. You’ve got people to worry about it what knows more about it than what you do. Let them see to it. And let them worry about it. You just carry on your normal life and that’s how you want to be. Because if you let it worry you, you’re going to go down and if you go down that’s it. You’ll never get back up. So it doesn’t worry me. I just go... I go out for a pint and I go out for a game, a game of pool or snooker and that’s me. If I meet a young lady in the in the meantime, I meet them and that’s it. I’ll tell them what I’ve got and that’s it. It’s up to them. That’s how I do it. That’s my life and that’s how I’m sticking to it.
Whilst wearing a catheter after treatment, Mick struggled with shopping but he had help from his son and brother.
Whilst wearing a catheter after treatment, Mick struggled with shopping but he had help from his son and brother.
No they come down to see if I was alright and that, you know. Just shopping for me because I couldn’t get out. Because I had this bag on it was embarrassing. Because I had to keep stopping and… you know if you’re in the street you can’t just go on the side there and lift your trouser leg up and… put the brake... you know switch on and let it all go. It was embarrassing so I didn’t...That’s the only trouble, having that on. But once it’s off... did my own shopping. Went to my own way. That’s the only embarrassing thing about it, [chuckles] having that bag on your leg.
When having his penis reconstructed, Mick did not have a skin graft, instead the surgeons were able to remove the cancer and wrap the remaining skin around.
When having his penis reconstructed, Mick did not have a skin graft, instead the surgeons were able to remove the cancer and wrap the remaining skin around.
They took all the stuff off they skinned you, so like put like how you skin a plaice, a fish, you take the skin off and just took all the badness away. All what and what was left they just wrapped it round something. How they do it I don’t know [chuckles]. No point asking me about that, I don’t know how they did but they did it. But they never took... no skin graft. Which I was pretty… you know relieved about that really. Because I thought I was going to, could be in a little bit of pain. But I wasn’t. So it depends what kind of patients you have. That’s the... you know like I say if they had..if they’d been circumcised, they might have to have a skin graft. If they haven’t they might have the same as me. It’s nowt to worry about.
Because he didn’t take any skin off my thigh. He did something hopefully which was far better, which it might…do to some other people, what might have it down there. He might say ‘I’m going to take a skin graft’ but if they’ve been circumcised…which I hadn’t. That’s where it might have been, I hadn’t been circumcised. And that’s why he did something else, instead of taking skin off my thigh. I mean if they’d been circumcised it might have... they might take skin off the thigh. But he said it’d be a bit sore but not to worry about, that this pain will go away. So it might have worked two ways, I don’t know, you know with people. But when I say the operation went great, you don’t feel it.
Mick had a partial penectomy; he felt no pain during or after the operation and went home after three days.
Mick had a partial penectomy; he felt no pain during or after the operation and went home after three days.
So and then I finished up going to the hospital in [city]. And that’s where I had my operation and what have you. And err which they did look after me, which I’ve got to say. There was no pain. I had my operation and I’ve had no pain after it, which… I thought there would be. But err...and then I thought there might be some treatment after it' tablets or medicine or something or needles err… but I didn’t get any... anything. But no pain there. And they let me go in 3 days.
Mick says it's something he doesn't think about: he's got the disease and that's it.
Mick says it's something he doesn't think about: he's got the disease and that's it.
Did the disease or the treatment for the disease, did that have any impact on your confidence or self-esteem?
No I don’t think so. No. I know I had it and that’s it. There’s nowt I could do about it. Only have the operation. It’s something you don’t think about like, you know. It’s… you’ve got the disease and that’s it. And you, you’re wondering how you got it. That’s the point. How you caught it? How you got it? And how’s it... how you got it like that. Because like I say I’d never heard of it before. And I’ve never heard anybody who had it before. All the time I was even at... at sea, I’d never heard anybody aboard our ships. When I was you know, even when I was in the merchant navy, even when I was on the standbys. I’d never heard of it. I’d never even seen it, I’ve heard of you know.
Mick says he would not have accepted an offer of counselling' he was relieved that his cancer hadn't spread and felt supported because he was being looked after by specialists.
Mick says he would not have accepted an offer of counselling' he was relieved that his cancer hadn't spread and felt supported because he was being looked after by specialists.
Would you have taken up an offer of maybe counselling or…?
No. Because I knew, I what I was I had, and I know what I’m going to, what’s going to happen to me. I just let it go. I mean I just carried on my normal routine. I thought if I do that, I’m not worrying about it. Although I was a little bit worried that it spread. That’s all I was worried about, it spreading. I know I had it, I know I’m going to get treated for it. But all I was worried it spreading. But when they told me, I was relieved, real relieved, that it hadn’t spread. That was... that was the biggest relief. And like I said and then after that I just carried on my normal routine, what I do. It never worried me. Because I know they’re the specialists, they’re the people what seeing to me, they know what they was doing, they know. So I left it to them. I do what they tell me. Because they, they’re the... they’re the specialists in... And that’s it.
Mick was pleased with the results of his operation. It was a little bit smaller, but it was just the same penis.
Mick was pleased with the results of his operation. It was a little bit smaller, but it was just the same penis.
So what did you think when you saw the results of the operation? How did you feel then?
Alright. Because, like I said, there was no pain. And when I see it I thought well…. it’s just going to.. it just looks the same. It was a little bit smaller right but it’s just the same. Same penis like you know. It was same you know... end. I thought no it’s just that stitching round it was... that was it. I couldn’t see it properly because it was bandaged up. You know what I mean you are bandaged up round there...’til they take it off when you go and get your bag away from you, when you go back the second time. You get the bag, they take it off. And when I looked... oh. They haven’t you know never did what they said they’re going to do. I thought they must have just skinned it and just wrapped it, you know took all the badness away, all the cancer away, what there was there and what they thought it was. And they must have checked it and then like rolled it up somehow and just stitched it. You know I don’t how they do it but that’s how I’m thinking. That’s my version of it. But like I say I never had no skin graft.
So am I right in saying you were pretty pleased with the results?
Yeah. 100% pleased.
