Penile Cancer

I think all I would say to somebody who has already been diagnosed with penile cancer... accept the fact that it is a positive diagnosis, take a positive outlook on life, you can’t turn the clock back, you have it, you’ve been diagnosed with it, take it on board, be positive, share your doubts and fears if you feel you are able to with other people especially with your wife or your partner and your friends as I have mentioned previously. But each of us reacts differently when we are faced with a severe problem... and it would be quite wrong for me to... tell somebody... how they should react themselves, but I think that’s all I can say really.

I would say don’t keep it to yourself. Speak openly to people that are close to you initially. It’s a part of your body that’s got to be seen to… and dealt with like any other part of the body. Nothing to be ashamed about. And just make sure that the doctors get on with it and advise you as clearly as possible as to what the state is at present with you. So… don’t keep it to yourself effectively.

Do you have a message for anybody that has been recently diagnosed with penile cancer?

Not so much for them who have been diagnosed because they’ve already got through it, for them who are suffering from any sort of problem like that, go out there and don’t take no from anybody. If you know what you... you’re right, you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got a problem, make sure you get to the right person. And don’t let anybody fob you off about second class or you can wait and it doesn’t... just get out there and make sure you get to see the right person.
 

It’s really the message to get to people who are wondering what they’ve got and if there is anything that’s being questioned that they should seek medical advice on a fairly immediate basis. That obviously, like all cancers the earlier it’s actually treated ah, the more success rate there’s going to be. Therefore don’t hesitate if you think you’ve got something.

I think now, if they got it early enough you won’t have the problems like what I’ve had. But, to give them advice and that is don’t ever, ever get disheartened. Always look on the bright side because there’s always got to be something better just round the corner. And this disease, I mean it’s not, chose wherever it is wherever it is, it’s not a... laughing disease is it? People’s not happy because they’ve been told they’ve got cancers and that but the thing I want to say to them really is always look on the bright side, never ever get despondent and with it being where it is as a man in some senses... different people react in different ways… I mean I’ve lost mine but people now seem to be, it seems to coming to light now more and more than when I first contracted it.

Of course it’s a hard, to me course it’s a hard decision but at the end of the day, if life’s life isn’t it? And you need to live your life. I haven’t got a penis but I’m 66 years old now, I haven’t got a, and I’m still enjoying myself. I’m still enjoying my life and not having a penis isn’t stopping me enjoying my life. I’m not having the fulfilment of life as a bloke but I’m alive and I’m happy and I’m talking to you. And I’m trying to give advice to other people whereas if I hadn’t had it cut off, would I still be here trying to tell people or advise people not to get despondent in any way? Look forward because there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. And that‘s my own personal advice to anybody.
 

Always look on the bright side because at the end of the day there’s always light at the end of the tunnel and it’s up to them to have the strength to actually think that and carry on. I know in some cases it can’t be the case because obviously it can be terminal and it can be painful... but as I say I’ve been lucky and it’s not been either of them.

Well you’ve got to be positive. I’m a great believer the surgeon said to me, “People who are positive, number one recover quicker, number two have more chance of a recovery and number three if you keep positive you’ll be positive all the way through anything that comes up.” And I think it’s true.

Oh I think the message is, it’s not a death sentence. It, yes it is life-changing. Yes, you’ve got to think about it, but think about it; talk about it; talk to people; be as open as you can about it. Because I find that’s been a great strength and great support that all sorts of people that – Yes, I’ve got lots of – lots of sympathy, lots of support from people who can sympathise, women as well, as well as men, who are very sympathetic to it. And where you can, and what’s helped me get through is looking, for the humour in it – there’s always, I’ve always found something to laugh about somewhere, and that’s helped me get through. And look at it positively like that and you know. And as I’ve said, perversely enjoying the experience [chuckles].

Well the main thing is I would, well it’s up to your consultant to be honest, is to get it resolved straight away. If you’ve got to have surgery, have surgery and get it resolved. But your main thing in life is to think positive. Don’t look back. You can reflect back and think about it, by all means. But you should think what forward. As I say I’m a forward-thinking person but it’s still at the back of your mind what the, your medical problems are.

I would say that view it for what it is. That if you had skin cancer on the back of your thigh and you had to go an operation and have it removed you would think ‘oh, it’s not good’ but you wouldn’t think that it was sort of major and really effectively it is only the same thing, the fact that it’s in the more sensitive part of your body it doesn’t make the surgery any more difficult and it obviously can have a high cure rate and it’s less likely to need a lot of the treatments of other cancers which are internal which one hears about and which obviously make the headlines much more than this one does, and I would say you know, go with the flow, treat it for what it is and don’t get too uptight about it that at the end of the day it’s most likely to be resolved for you.

I don’t know what stages they’re at, they’re either pre-op or post-op or whatever. But all the feelings and the misgivings and the and the fears that they have right now, are ones that I’ve already had. And we feel the same way we look upon life, we’re all the same, we’re all the same. We’ve all have the same apprehensions. We all have the same goals. And we just want to be right. And there will be occasions where, many occasions where, I know there was with me, where you just wondered whether there’s ever going to be a point where… they can… question whether they’re gonna pull through. You start questioning your own mortality. But… not to do that. You can. You just need to…you need to do as you’re told. You need to do what they ask you to do. You need to maintain a positive outlook and you can beat it. I’ve… it’s two years more or less to the day that I admitted myself into hospital, local hospital. And the progress, I’ve had three major operations in two years, and all the associated problems. And I’ve… I’m through it. I’m through it. I’m back up and about I’m at work. I’m proof, if proof were necessary, that you can you can get through it. You just need to be…you need to be very strong. You need to be… determined enough in your own mind... just don’t let it, just refuse. Push yourself, refuse to let it beat you. And you can. There were many occasions where I never thought about giving up, I never thought about not having a procedure done or not having a tablet or not having an injection. But it gets awfully tiresome. Month after month after month after month after month. It gets to a point where you think… that you start questioning whether what you’re doing is the right thing… It is. Just keep doing it. And take on board whatever help they give you. Don’t think you’re any less of a man for seeking some… some help from a counsellor. Don’t think you’re any less. Because that’s what they’re there for. They’re professional people. And it helped me immeasurably. And I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for that lady in [Name of town]. She’s performed miracles on me.