Testicular Cancer: ‘I put the swelling down to too much cycling – turns out it was more serious’
As a fit and active man in his thirties, at the end of 2020, when Thomas Butler noticed a swelling in one of his testicles, he initially put it down to too much cycling and thought that a little time out of the saddle would see the problem disappear.
owever, as the days progressed there was no change, so he got in touch with his GP, who was suitably concerned and asked him to come for a check-up.
“I didn’t have any pain at all and my doctor said it was probably an infection,” he says. “But he said, to be on the safe side, he would send me for an ultrasound which was just to rule cancer out, so I was quite relaxed about it.
“Looking back I think the doctor did have a bit of an inkling that there was something more serious wrong as the scan was booked for the following day — which at this point was the 22nd of December — so fair play to him for getting it sorted before Christmas.”
Thomas, a secondary school history teacher, and his wife Sinead were so unconcerned about the scan, they had planned to go to the hospital together and then afterwards do some last-minute Christmas shopping. But things didn’t go to plan as initial results prompted a second, more in-depth scan, and the possibility that he may have cancer soon became a reality.
“Because of Covid rules, Sinead was waiting in the car while I went in for the ultrasound,” he says. “The radiologist asked how long I had been aware of the lump and that was the first shock as I had never thought of it as an actual lump — I was told then that I had to go for a CT scan and they suggested that I bring Sinead in with me. My head was gone at this point and I asked them did they think I had cancer, but they told me they wouldn’t know anything until the results came back.
“After the second scan was done, I was told to go home and ring my doctor the following morning for results. By now, I was in bits and I remember ringing my mam to tell her and when we got home, she and some other family members came over to try and reassure me that it would all be ok.
“I didn’t sleep a wink that night and the next morning I rang the doctor first thing and he told me to come in to see him — I then discovered that I had a tumour on my left testicle and that there was also a bit of a spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen area. I was so shocked — but the doctor reassured me that although cancer is a very scary word, there are many different types and degrees of severity, and what I had was very curable.”
Discovering on Christmas Eve that you have cancer is undoubtedly a very difficult situation, and the 35-year-old said it took him several days to process the news. But by St Stephen’s Day, he had developed a determined and positive attitude and was keen to get ‘rid of the tumour’ as quickly as possible.
“We spent the day at my mam’s house and I tried to get my head around what was happening — I certainly brought the Christmas mood way down,” he laughs. “But after a few hours, I got more of a handle on things after having conversations with the medical team who would be dealing with it in early January.
‘Getting testicular cancer was a shock and losing my father in the middle of treatment was very difficult, but everyone was so supportive’
“Initially, it was difficult getting my head around it all. While people tell you to be positive, it isn’t always that simple. But over the course of a few days, I began to come to terms with it and just wanted to get on with it sooner rather than later.
“I was booked to have surgery on January 6th but was told that because of Covid, things could change at any time — and sure enough after we drove down to Waterford Hospital, we were told that all surgeries had been cancelled for the week,” he says. “It was a big anti-climax as I was all prepared to have it done, but I was rescheduled again to a private hospital a week or so later. I was really keen to get the tumour out of me so was in a positive mood going into theatre and the surgery was a great success.”
Following the operation, the secondary school teacher took some time to recuperate before embarking on four gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, which involved five nights in hospital each time, followed by 16 days at home before beginning the whole process again.
“I had a few issues with pain and mobility after the surgery, but then after resting up, I was ready to begin treatment in early February 2021,” he says. “I was intrigued by how my body would cope with the chemotherapy and keen to get on with it as quickly as possible. Because of Covid, I couldn’t have any visitors when I was in for the five-day admissions. But to be honest, I think it was for the best as I know Sinead would have been up and down the road every day to visit, and that would have been tough on her — it was best that I just had to get myself through it without disturbing anyone else too much.”
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Thomas Butler raised over €4000 for the Irish Cancer Society. Photo: Dylan Vaughan
It was a tough time, but this was made even harder when tragedy struck and his father died. “When I was coming up for the last cycle of chemo, my dad, who had been unwell with a neurological condition and deteriorating slowly for a good few years, got very sick quite quickly and then passed away on April 22nd while I was on one of my 16 days at home. It was an awful shock, but I was grateful at the time that I had enough energy to carry the coffin and be there with the family.
“However, the funeral happened on a Saturday and I was back in hospital on the following Monday for my last round of chemo and that was very tough — I was alone with my thoughts and the reality of what had happened really sunk in — it was very difficult to stay positive during that time.”
Losing a loved one while going through treatment for cancer yourself is undeniably tough, but the Kilkenny man says the positivity and support he received from his family, friends and medical team made a huge difference to his outlook and recovery.
A naturally active person, he also found it difficult when treatment prevented him from participating in running and cycling. So as soon as he was given the green light, he decided to try and get back into exercise.
After spotting an advert for the Irish Cancer Society’s Marathon in a Month campaign last July, he decided that this would be a great way of getting fit again and raising funds for the charity.
“I set up a fundraising page on Facebook and Instagram and very quickly the donations came flooding in — it was amazing,” he says. “People I hadn’t seen in years were donating €20 and saying ‘well done’. It gave me a great lift. I soon started the challenge which involved me and Sinead going down to the local GAA field, where I would easily do a few 5km runs a week before my treatment — I started off doing a few hundred metres and then walking and building it up each day. Some mornings I could run more than others, but the main thing was that I was clocking up the kilometres.
“I got fitter as the days went on and by the end of July, I had completed the equivalent of five marathons and raised over €4000 — it was brilliant.”
Now, a year on from the end of his cancer treatment, Thomas, who last month, together with his wife Sinead, became a parent to twin boys — Tomas and Eoin, would encourage other men to be vigilant about the signs of testicular cancer and never be afraid to seek expert advice. While there may be nothing wrong at all, early detection can be life-saving.
“Getting testicular cancer was a shock and losing my father in the middle of treatment was very difficult, but everyone was so supportive,” he says. “My doctor was always really positive and I think that rubbed off as it helped me not to be anxious. He said they were aiming to cure the cancer rather than kick the can down the road. Having him talk like that and chat away about other stuff, made a massive difference to how I felt. My family and friends were also brilliant and this really helped too. Now I’m doing great and recent check-ups have shown that all the treatment worked and I’ve now got the all-clear, which is fantastic news.
“The [baby] boys arrived three weeks ago so life is very busy, but I couldn’t be happier. My advice to other men would be to check themselves regularly, and if they notice anything at all to get it checked. Since I was diagnosed, two of my friends got checked out and thankfully there was nothing wrong, but it put their minds at rest. I have also spoken to my students about it at school because it is really important to look after any health concerns and get them checked sooner rather than later, because if there is something wrong, then there is a better chance of it being sorted out.
“Also, if anybody is looking for a challenge, I would really recommend Marathon in a Month. Going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment you can feel fairly helpless, but taking on an event like this allows you to take back some control, as you can do it in your own way and in your own time.”
The Irish Cancer Society’s Marathon in a Month takes place throughout the month of July and is proudly supported by Aldi.
Walk, run, cycle or swim the 42km distance over a day, week or throughout the whole month. For more details visit cancer.ie
About Testicular Cancer
- Testicular cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat and very often it can be cured. The treatment varies, but the first step is usually surgery. The type of treatment then depends on the size and stage of the disease; the type of testicular cancer (whether it is seminoma or non-seminoma); if the cancer has spread and the general state of the patient’s health.
- The signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include a painless lump or swelling in the testicle; pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum, groin or abdomen; an enlarged testicle or change in the way your testicle feels; or a heavy feeling in your scrotum.
- It is more common in men who were born with an undescended testicle (one which did not come down into the scrotum before they were born). Having an operation to fix the testicle down in the scrotum at a young age can help to reduce the risk again.
- For more information, visit www.cancer.ie.
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