Charity urges men to talk about cancer

**frostyboy** · 18th-January-2010

From Wales Online:

Charity urges men to talk about cancer

WHEN Jimmy Riley underwent surgery for a rare form of cancer,
he was told that he would never be able to speak again.

Instead he was advised to learn how to use an electronic voice
box or sign language.

But the 49-year-old former scaffolder, who lives in Pembrokeshire,
has painstakingly taught himself how to speak again.

The keen biker was diagnosed with a rare type of head and neck
cancer in April 2007 and underwent a laryngectomy, which
removed his voice box and wind pipe.

The surgery was followed by a four-week course of radiotherapy. Jimmy, who lives in Neyland, was unable to eat for two months after the surgery and used a feeding tube during this time.

He was also left with a permanent stoma in his neck, which he breathes through.

“It was hard,” he said. “I’m dyslexic so I rely on my voice more than others. When people suggested I wrote down what I needed to say it was hard for me.

“I became frustrated with the electronic voice box as there was no expression and so I decided that I would learn to talk again.

“My speech therapist said I would have to work at it, so I did. I used to shout at things and make noises and then find out how to make them into words.

“After about three months I was able to speak after a fashion.”

Just as Jimmy was beginning to get his life back on track, doctors discovered another tumour in his neck in April 2008 and he underwent further surgery.

“After the first diagnosis I had stopped smoking and drinking and was living healthily and just getting on with my life,” he said.

“But after the second tumour I really thought I was going to die. That was when the depression kicked in and I started drinking heavily.

“Then the Macmillan nurse came to see me and asked me what I liked doing.

“I told her that I had always loved biking but that was out of the question now following my laryngectomy.

“But she then showed me the equipment that I could use while riding my bike. Biking helped me get my life back.

“My bike is also my legs – I can’t walk too far as I end up coughing and getting out of breath and so being able to use my bike to get out and about is fantastic.

“I also go on bike runs now and it’s good to get out and meet people.

“The Macmillan nurses got me back in the saddle again. It’s good to know that they are there for you after you get out of hospital and that you are not alone.”

Macmillan Cancer Support is today urging men to talk about cancer at the start of this year’s Cancertalk week.

The charity is specifically targeting men because it said they are often reluctant to ask for help, even though men are 40% more likely to die from cancer than women.

More than 9,000 men are diagnosed with cancer in Wales every year.

A survey for the charity found that one in three men would rather walk down the street naked or get their chest waxed than ask for help. And it also found that 30% were prepared to miss out on their favourite football game if it meant they didn’t have to speak out.

Cath Lindley, general manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said: “Macmillan has decided to target men because shockingly men are 40% more likely to die from cancer than women and are 16% more likely to develop it in the first place.

“Despite making up half the population, men can often be overlooked when talking about cancer.

“We want men to know that there is a wealth of help out there for them, whether they are directly affected by cancer or are caring for someone.”

The campaign is being supported by actor Ray Winstone, who said: “Men sometimes leave the talking to women when it comes to health concerns so it’s great that Macmillan is encouraging us men to get support.

“Cancer is really hard on the whole family, and being able to talk to someone who knows what they’re talking about, and can tell us what’s what, is brilliant.”

As part of the campaign Winstone and nine other celebrities have spoken about their most regrettable moments in a viral video produced as part of Cancertalk week.

Macmillan Cancer Support can be contacted on 0808 808 00 00 or via Cancer care and support charity - Macmillan Cancer Support

**Marx** · 18th-January-2010

An excellent article!

**dad_savage** · 19th-January-2010

“We want men to know that there is a wealth of help out there for them, but only if they're post-op transexuals and have a vagina.”

**ftumch** · 19th-January-2010

[QUOTE][The campaign is being supported by actor Ray Winstone, who said: “Men sometimes leave the talking to women when it comes to health concerns so it’s great that Macmillan is encouraging us men to get support.
/QUOTE]

Ray Winstone... nuff said

**paul parmenter** · 19th-January-2010

"men are 40% more likely to die from cancer than women and are 16% more likely to develop it in the first place."

But hey guys, that's no problem; because now you can TALK about it. And talk doesn't cost a bean, which means the cancer funding can be kept exactly where it is right now - firmly in the hands of the more important sex.

**MikeT** · 19th-January-2010

Once again, frostyboy RULES.
Sure, we can talk and talk and talk, but at the end of the day, where is that going to get us men? (in reality)

We should be out there demanding an equal share of the health dollar, this is what is SO wrong about the way things are these days.

Now, I've been part of fund-raisers and the like for men's health, and we have raised quite a bit of money, but I ask you guys, why must we have to do this when the female part of our population get it handed to them on a silver platter?

I absolutely take my hat off to a guy that has turned his sickness and depression around to work for him, a lot of people could learn a lot from him.

Get out there and start demanding things, it has to start somewhere, so it might as well start with one person, sure you might get arrested, who really cares, just make a point of letting folks around you know why you are being arrested.

If we all do this, word will get around.

Stand up for your basic rights for Christ sakes.

**Marx** · 19th-January-2010

Come on guys... if we talk, we make it easier to notice it... and not feeling we can't talk for fear of some womyn's group condemning us. Feminists uses misinformation to demand higher preference from governments for women's health. We don't need to copy that - but we can make our lives easier.

**MikeT** · 19th-January-2010

Quote from Marx

Come on guys... if we talk, we make it easier to notice it... and not feeling we can't talk for fear of some womyn's group condemning us. Feminists uses misinformation to demand higher preference from governments for women's health. We don't need to copy that - but we can make our lives easier.

Karl,
What we really need is a balance of activism with dialouge amongst us men.
With the Men's Sheds program here, we have been trying to do at least the communication bit.

**haahoo** · 20th-January-2010

I wonder if some of you chaps (other than marx) are missing the central point here..

The talking you need to do, with regards your health, is to take a trip to your GP perhaps when you think you have cancer..

Thats the best way of getting access to the resources that are available..

Its pretty dumb to make a big fuss about why women get more health care money spent on them..

When men dont ever bother even going to their bloody doctor when they are ill anyway!

I think a great many cancers are NOT gender specific, so the budget is NOT split on gender lines..

**dad_savage** · 21st-January-2010

To be brutally honest, although I've read that women's health receives the lion's share of Government spending, I'm not honestly sure how this functions at its core and so I'm not sure if Hahoo is making a legitimate point. Still, even if men are being undercut in regards to funding talking is the first step, raising awareness, is the first step towards rectifying such problems, and I agree with those who have said this. My earlier comment was more an attempt at humour than any serious contribution to this thread. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, as they say, and women squeak allot. Men must become more pro-active in regards to their health to rectify these issues as even if the Government is being discriminatory in its policies we cannot expect to be given a thing which we, as a sex, seem to have no desire for, even if we collectively do have a need for it.

The Government is ostensibly there to protect and ensure the welfare of its citizens but in reality it tends to limit its intervention to those things which people perceive to be their immediate or most explicit need, whether they be truly necessary or not, and one would have to be mad not to understand that the Government will turn a blind eye toward any measure of depravity, injustice or evil, so long as it is not disillusioning or upsetting people.