Bobby's story: Get talking
Bobby and Ben
A testicular cancer diagnosis can be scary. Here’s how one guy got support during surgery and after treatment.
At the age of 32, Bobby was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After being told by the urologist that they had found a tumour and were going to have to perform surgery, Bobby stopped listening.
One of the things he struggled with the most was being able to reach out for support.
"The word cancer is scary. People ask 'how are you?' and I would always deflect it with humour, and never really addressed the fact that I hadn’t really dealt with it very well.”
Through Movember, Bobby later connected with a group of other men who had all been through testicular cancer. “We would just sit there and have a chat about where we’ve struggled and where we can help each other. Sometimes it’s a little bit easier to share with someone who has no testicles like I don’t, or someone who has been through the same thing.”
Six years later, while on holiday, Bobby found another lump and was diagnosed with testicular cancer again. But this time, because he knew what to look for, he managed to catch it very early.
Now, armed with the first-hand experience of what it’s like to go through testicular cancer, Bobby has signed up to be a guide for Nuts & Bolts - an online resource developed by Movember to help guys with testicular cancer.
As a guide, Bobby is able to connect with other guys facing a testicular cancer diagnosis to talk, listen and share his experience.
"I think when you hear these things - that someone else has come through it and it’s OK and life carries on - it's a big deal. It certainly helped me. And I would like to think that by sharing these experiences it will help others."
Get to know your nuts. Go to movember.com/KnowThyNuts.
