Interview 02

Age at interview: 53

Age at diagnosis: 53

Brief Outline: Testicular cancer (seminoma) diagnosed in 2001; orchidectomy. No evidence of secondary tumours, though some concern about one small gland. Radiotherapy planned (8 treatments) to prevent recurrence.

Background: Own business; married, 2 adult children.

Explains that he would have liked the CT scan while he was in hospital and that he disliked the delays.

Now I will be honest with you the, the thing that concerned me more than anything else, it wasn't the, having the testicle removed, it was, I mean that's a simple operation, they do them all the time so I wasn't the slightest bit worried about that. What concerned me and I'm sure it concerns, would have concerned anybody is' 'Is it anywhere else?' Now that's the main thing because if it is then having a testicle removed isn't gonna make one damned bit of difference one way or the other.

And as I say it was two weeks later - or just over that - I actually had to phone up to say 'What are the results?'[of the CT scan], and then on the Thursday when I did go in and see the surgeon he said 'Well I don't really need to see you do I?' And I said 'Well I would like to know what the results are?' And you know, I can, and really that seemed, they paid little importance to that and I think that was a mistake.

I did see that doctor but that was, that doctor I had an appointment to see him five weeks after I'd come out of hospital. Now I was not gonna wait five weeks to find out what the result of a scan was. I feel, in my opinion I was in hospital, I should have had the scan there and then. To be honest with you it was, it would have been a far easier, I'm sure it would have been easier for the Health Service, certainly put my mind at rest knowing, knowing relatively quickly what the results of the scan were instead of having to go back into the same hospital only a few, only a, not so far away from where I was in, in the hospital.

Recalls that he recovered rapidly after the operation, and asserts that there is nothing to worry...

I was, I came out of the hospital on the Thursday - and I like to swim a lot for health reasons - and on the following Monday I was swimming and by the end of the week I was back to my swimming my usual mile a day. There's no, there was no pain whatsoever and in actual fact things like swimming and having hot baths helps it to heal up. As I said the only thing was a nuisance was when the pubic hairs were growing back, that was the only thing that caused me any - uncomfortable. And they seemed to catch on to your underwear and everything else so all that, so that was basically the only thing. No, there is nothing to worry about. There is really nothing to worry about.
 

Explains why he is not in favour of counselling.

Did you look for support from anybody else?

Not at that stage no. Only my doctor, you know, but even then it was just an ordinary consultation with the doctor. No I didn't, I don't, I will be honest with you, I'm not into this counselling business. I think it does more harm than good half the time, it makes people feel more aware of their problems when people, they actually know what the problems are, you know and if you've got it you've got it, I mean what the hell can you do about it? Why, why seek to speak to some, some people may be different to me, I mean I don't know - that's not my way of doing things.