Anthony (Tony) Finn’s diagnosis of testicular cancer came out of the blue. The 42-year-old from Mullingar was in good health, until a suspected kidney stone brought him to A&E.
Last May, Tony, L&D Specialist for Health & Safety Training, attended the A&E in Mullingar with severe pain which turned out to be a kidney stone. He underwent an operation to remove it. While recovering in hospital he remembers clearly seeing a poster reporting that 1 in 3 people will develop cancer in their lifetime and thought to himself ‘well that’s not me for a while’.
Many cancers are discovered through other illnesses which was the case for Tony. Because he didn’t get a medical certificate from the hospital following his operation, he went to his GP and encouraged by his wife Ciara, he mentioned a discomfort he had in his groin.
Tony had no obvious symptoms – no lumps or swelling – but explained to his GP his discomfort and his suspicions that it was related to the kidney stone. Luckily for Tony, his GP’s husband had been treated for testicular cancer, so she was highly alert to the illness. As a precaution, she referred Tony for an ultrasound scan which revealed tumours.
Tony was referred back to the urologist who had removed his kidney stone to undergo a CT scan and bloods to check if the tumours were cancerous. The results came back positive, and Tony was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He underwent surgery to remove the tumours just three weeks after diagnosis.
Tony's treatment plan was less severe as his cancer was early stage. He has passed his second three-month check-up with his next check-up being two months away.
“I’m told that I’m one of the lucky ones that my cancer was caught early,” says Tony. “I’m sharing my story in the hope that men – particularly young men - check themselves and watch for signs like a discomfort pain even if there are no lumps or swelling. The earlier your cancer is detected, the higher your survival rate is. There is nothing to be embarrassed about in having a check-up, just get any concerns you have checked immediately.”
Mental Health
After Tony’s surgery he was anxious to get his life back to normal. Physically he felt okay, but two operations over a five-week period and his cancer diagnosis had taken its toll on his mental health. Again, Ciara encouraged him to seek out support services. It was while attending an An Post Wellbeing Seminar with guest Psychologist Richie Sadlier around minding your mental health, that Tony recognised that he needed to speak to a professional.
Tony says: “I can’t speak highly enough of LARCC (Lakelands Area Retreat & Cancer Centre) based in Multyfarnham, Co. Westmeath, and the support I received from them. They provided a free counselling and therapy service plus nurse support, which was so important to help me get through the first few months after the cancer diagnosis. They are so professional in how they deliver these services and look after those in their care.”
“I also want to mention the Daffodil Centre, where nurses provide cancer information, support and advice for anyone affected or concerned about cancer and information on the local services like LARCC,” he adds.
Daffodil Day 2023
The theme of this year’s Daffodil Day is to ‘take part and take back’ from cancer and Tony is encouraging colleagues to get involved. The Irish Cancer Society will use the funds raised to provide its vital free services such as drives to and from cancer treatment, the Freephone Support Line and counselling for anyone affected by cancer.
Click here to donate
