When we started the study, we were using the term male breast cancer’ and we came across some people that didn’t like that term. I was just wondering if you have any opinions on it?

No, no. Apart, as I say, the only thing you’ve got, isthe feeling of, it shouldn’t really happen to men. That’s the only feeling you’ve got. And the- as I say one of the reactions, probably seen it before is why me? (Dog barking in background)…people explain, the experts explain it to you then, you know, you start to understand. It is, I mean obviously it’s still a rarity. I mean there’s not that many, so that’s possibly one reason why it’s not aired as much, it could be. I suppose it’s the fear factor really, in a lot of these things.

But as a term you don’t mind it so much?

No. Well I say I’ve got breast cancer. And I mean I’ve had people say to me, you don’t have a breast, you’ve got a chest, you’ve got pecs, you don’t have a breast. So what is it Basically we’re all the same.

I went to [name of hospital] for a biopsy, and that were embarrassing.

Was it?

That were very embarrassing. Well you can imagine that you’re sat there in a dressing gown, in the waiting room, full of women and they’re all looking at you and thinking, what’s he doing here? [Laughs] So that, that, you know, I mean that’s one drawback I’ve got when you go for the thing, you’re sat with women. I’veObviously when you go for check-ups, there’s husbands with them and what not, so they don’t know really. But when they call you they know that it’s you. But that’s a little bit embarrassing.

Oh yeah. I mean everybody in that group-

Men and women.

Men and women. Everybody were all supporting one another, and when you were doing your individual things, you know, everybody’ll come out and watching and encourage you and things like that. And that is the beauty of it, is that the people, I suspect not only with breast cancer, but it’s probably the same with all cancers, the people that you come into contact with, have been there, done that, and are going through the same traumas and the same feelings as what you’re going through, and can relate to those feelings. Where, as I say, a lot of people that haven’t had it, obviously sympathise and what not, but you know unless you’ve been there, then obviously it’s a different ball game, you know so-.

I mean you talked about the [Breast Cancer Care] fashion show and the camaraderie there, but do you think in the wider sort of breast cancer group that that’s true between men and women, do you think that-?

I think between the- yes I think everybody-

Has it stopped you doing anything I mean would you

No. No, no it hasn’t stopped me doing owt.

I don’t know whether you went swimming anyway, but do you still go and take your top off or- when you’re at the beach do you?

Oh aye, I strip off. If I go anywhere I strip off. Oh yeah. And when I were running touch, after a match, obviously it’s a community shower room, so everybody’s in there, and everybody’s buff naked. So you know, it’s just part of it. If anybody asks you just tell them.

Right. And did people ask?

Well. Yeah, you just got a- oh what’s that then That’s a good sca or- that looks nea, or something like that. I mean basically, we- rugby people, they’re that used to knocks and bumps and cuts and bruises and broken legs and that, all it is virtually, that looks nast or that- you know, that looks as though it were painfu and things like that, but they don’t- basically they don’t go into it. it’s just- they just accept that that’s a thing that’s happened and off you go.

They did one-

A mammogram?

[Laughing, mispronouncing word] Mammo- they did that. And then yeah, then they said oh we’ll take a sampl.

Right.

I think I had to go back a week later for them to take a sample.

Right.

And then, a week later after that to get the result.

And how did you find the mammogram?

Strange. But, interesting because obviously all the- technicians and what not, all the nurses, they’re all female that are doing it. And, I mean the first time they did it I said, Oh you’re going to struggle her, and she looked at me and she said, Your breast is bigger than some of the women [Laughs] So I said, Oh all right the. So she said, We won’t have any problem. But I found it difficult, you know, you put your- hand behind you and you push, get on and push. One way or another, so that you- then you squash it all up and it’s-

Is it painful?

it’s not painful it’s-. Nah, it’s not painful, it’s just uncomfortable but not painful. And it don’t take long, it’s very, very quick.

Okay. And then you had the biopsy the same day?

No, as I say, I went back a week later.

Oh you went back-. Right okay. For that?

And I think it were a week after that, then they sent for me again and said we’ve got some bad news.

When I- when they did the biopsy and I went, I expected them just to say oh fine, everything’s okay-

Did you know at that point that cancer was a possibility?

Oh yes.

You did know.

Oh yeah.

But you just didn’t think it’d be-

Oh no, no, no, no. it’s- no you don’t. I suppose some people might have, but I didn’t. I just thought it were- it’s just one of those things that’ll go away. I mean even when they did tests- they did mammogram and then they did tests you know they have this machine, and they push and shove, and then they go round, there’s been many a time and they looking at the screen, and they said, Oh there’s a lump, oh that’s all righ. And there were one time, we were having a laugh about it, cause she says, Oh you’ve got a couple of lumps on this sid. She said, Let’s have a look at the, oh she says, Oh that one’s all right. Oh that’s grea, so I said, What’s tha, and she said, Cause I’ve just shifted that right over your breas. [Laughs] She said, it’s down the bottom but it’s gone to the top no. She says So we won’t worry about ther. So, you know, but that sort of thing you get, the sort of, all the time trying to relax you and, brilliant.

And I went to [name of hospital] for a biopsy, and that were embarrassing.

Was it?

That were very embarrassing. Well you can imagine that you’re sat there in a dressing gown, in the waiting room, full of women and they’re all looking at you and thinking, what’s he doing here? [Laughs] So that, that, you know, I mean that’s one drawback I’ve got when you go for the thing, you’re sat with women. I’veObviously when you go for check-ups, there’s husbands with them and what not, so they don’t know really. But when they call you they know that it’s you. But that’s a little bit embarrassing

What happened is that they diagnosed it, and then [name of the surgeon] brought in a Macmillan nurse and he said from now on she’s in charge, she’ll take you through everything and do everythin.
So, she talked me through it then she said, Do you understand I’m being blasé and you know, I said, Yes I understand i. She says, You don. I said, Oh yes I d. She says, You don. She said, I’ll tell you what I’ll d, she says next Tuesda – this was on the Friday. She says, Next Tuesday I’ll come up to your house. If you can get your family together and we’ll go through it. And if you’ve looked at the back of that breast cancer thing, there are questions. She says, Write dow, she said when you get hom, she said peace and quiet, write down any questions you’ve got and I’ll try my best to answer them. Oka I said, fair enough. So we arranged that. I walked out to car and that’s when it hit. Oh! And I’ve never been as frightened. I’ve had some injuries and that, but I’ll never been as frightened. And the first reaction is, I’m going to die. I mean the big C, it terrify- well as I say, it hit me about an hour later. And I actually sat in the car, I was- I went to hospital and then I were going to go to work. I actually sat in the car for about three quarters an hour, I daren’t move, I were just a wreck. And then I decided well I aren’t going to go to work and, better come home. So I thought, well I’d better ring home first because if I just pull up, there’ll be panic set in. So I rung home, explained the situation then came home.

The only thing it’s doing with me, it’s made me tired. That’s the only downside. Apart from that, I haven’t noticed anything different. As I say, I do know that a lot of people have a lot of problems with tamoxifen. And some, there’s a lot of women, they can’t take it or the side effects are horrendous. Now whether, you know obviously the side effects that the ladies get is totally different from what we would get anyway.

Many a time she’ll say to me, Have you taken your tablet cause I forget. So what we do is last thing at night, that’s when I take it. Cause originally I used to take it in the morning, and by afternoon I were absolutely buggered. [Laughs] So now we take it on a night and sleep it through.

And has that made it better?

Oh yeah, I think so. Cause as I say I still am tired during the day, but it’s made it a lot better-

Good.

-I think most of the effects of the tablet I probably sleep through. I dream a lot, whether that’s owt to do with the tablets I don’t know. I dream a lot of rubbish.

Right. More so than before?

Oh yeah, I think so. But that again, I also put that down to age.