Andrew's battle with testicular cancer
After brushing aside concerns about a growing lump in his testicle, Fire Up for Men's Health ambassador Andrew has a strong message to all men.
As a medical pro in WA, Andrew Phan knew the ropes, but like many blokes, he didn’t think much of it when he first felt a small lump in his testicle. Even though he was aware it could be something serious, he kept it to himself—even from his fiancée.
With his hands full at work as a radiographer and his wedding on the horizon, he put his own health on the backburner, not realising how quickly things could escalate. That lump didn’t mess around. It went from a pea to a grape, and then to a tennis ball before Andrew finally spilled the beans to his best mate, a nurse. His mate didn’t muck around and told him to see his GP ASAP.
“As the weeks passed, I became less intimate and more irritable with my friends, family and colleagues. The symptoms were becoming more painful and impossible to ignore”.
His worst fears hit him like a ton of bricks—testicular cancer.
Andrew had his left testicle removed, as well as a few courses of chemotherapy, which he says is a memory he doesn't want to remember.
“It’s perfectly fine if you’re finding it hard to talk to people. Whether it’s medical or emotional – you should be able to talk to your best friends.”
“We all need to talk – whether it’s around a barbeque or whether it’s cracking open a beer out camping or on the beach.”
Andrew is living proof that a good chinwag with your mates can make all the difference. He’s sure he might not be here today if it wasn’t for his two best mates.
“It’s important for us all to remember that tough times come and go but they make you stronger.”
Now, with his health on the mend and a new outlook on life, Andrew joins Fire Up for Men's Health as an ambassador, keen to make sure everyone benefits from ongoing investment in medical research and top-notch patient care.
A lover of the outdoors, of camping and barbecues with mates, Andrew is Firing Up this Spring to spread awareness of men’s health and raise vital funds for the health of all blokes across WA.
Join Andrew and countless others in the fight for men’s health, and support life-saving research and care today.
Learn more about Andrew's cancer journey
Inspired to normalise vulnerability and show the world that strength lies in our ability to ask for help? You can make a real impact today by Firing Up for Men's Health or chipping in with a lifechanging donation.
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