The Journey So Far

This all started after finding a small lump under my right arm. Not sure if this was by fluke or thanks to someone being vigilant about checking their body but for peace of mind I went to my GP the following day to discuss what could be the cause of it.

During the check-up he advised me that due to my work as a builder the lump could very well just be an infection caused by a splinter or something similar. He told me that if it's still there in five or six weeks that it would be best to get an ultrasound and biopsy done to cover all bases.
It was still there after six weeks. I was booked in to have the ultrasound and biopsy. The results came through and it determined that the cells under my arm were now considered suspicious. It's not what you want to hear but it was important to still be in good spirits as I have a wife, Noreen, and three daughters and I needed to stay strong for them, and after all the worse was not yet confirmed.

After finding out the cells were suspicious I was booked in to have a Pet scan and CT scan. These scans confirmed my worse fears, it confirmed that I had Cancer. It was naturally devastating as my whole world had now turned upside down, I could no longer work, my wife Noreen had to now go back to full time work to provide for the family and I had a good stint of treatment ahead of me. Though as I got on to the lump quick enough, I was lucky that it was only confined to my right arm pit, which in the scheme of things was a great relief.
Surgery followed on the Friday 7th June to remove 33 lymph nodes. The surgery went well and when I woke up in recovery I had a lymphatic drain inserted up into my arm pit to drain the excess fluid from the lymph nodes. I had a bag attached to the end of the drainage tube which I had to carry around with me everywhere, to work when I was calling football matches for K-Rock, to the shops and to pick up my girls from school. It wasn't ideal but I knew it was short term so I put up with it. After three and a half weeks the surgeon was happy with how much fluid had drained and removed the tube and bag.

Since then all has gone well. I've started physiotherapy and have had regular check-ups with the surgeon to monitor my progress. For the next stage of treatment I was referred to oncologist Adam Broad to be advised on what was due to happen next. He outlined what was necessary and told me that there would be at least a year of treatment ahead. The treatment I will be having is Interferon and it's administered through a Hickman's Line, which I had inserted through the lower side of my neck today. I must admit that it came as a bit of a shock to be told that the treatment would last that long. It really begun to sink in how big this had become.

I had naturally told my family and close friends what had been going on but word was starting to get out in the local community as I guess I'm a familiar name after playing football for local AFL team, the Geelong Cats and a special comments speaker for football matches on the local radio station K-Rock.
I thought the best way to approach this was to go public with my news, so everyone would understand exactly what has been going on and primarily so I could use the small platform I had to raise awareness in the community of the risk of Skin Cancer and how important it was to have regular check-ups to avoid something like this.

I was given the opportunity to share my news before calling a Geelong Cats football game on K-Rock. K-Rock also announced the news on Facebook and the messages of support that flooded in was overwhelming but I was so grateful for all the kind words from friends, associates and strangers. After the announcement, I was asked for an interview with the local paper, the Geelong Advertiser, and requests for interviews with television news crews followed as well. It was a bit full on but I knew it was the right thing to do in order to reach the maximum audience and gain greater awareness about the risks of Skin Cancer and how to potentially avoid it.

I've had a few weeks in between all this waiting out for my treatment to start and to avoid dwelling on the negatives I've kept myself busy with assisting mates, who are also builders, with paperwork and signing up to study business management through the footy club as well as doing things I've never had the opportunity to do such as be the one to get my girls ready and take them to school. I knew it was important to stay positive about this for my family and for myself. At this stage there is looking to be a light at the end of the tunnel so I need to keep focusing on that.

Having the Hickman's Line inserted today, was the start of my preparation for treatment and on Monday 5th August, I will start my awaited treatment. After Monday I will require check-ups five days a week for the first four weeks. This will be very intense but I am hoping to document the good and bad experiences of my journey so you can understand just how important it is to take the precautions to avoid something like this. I'm very much looking forward to starting this part of my journey and jumping on the road to recovery.