Tim first noticed his nipple becoming painful and sensitive. The nipple then became inverted which he thought may be due to an infection and he applied Savlon cream to it. His wife persuaded him to show it to her brother who is a doctor. He advised him to see his own GP as soon as possible. He realised that there might be something seriously wrong when he was referred to the consultant.

When he first had problems with his nipple he had no idea men could develop breast cancer. He was shocked when the specialist telephoned and told him he had breast cancer. He wanted to get on with treatment and deal with it head on. He told his daughter and son immediately and friends as he saw them. He felt they should know, but did not want to make a big deal out of it. Most people were shocked but very supportive when they found out.

He had a mastectomy, then radiotherapy. He took tamoxifen for about 7 years but stopped after he had a thrombosis following a hip operation. Whilst he was taking tamoxifen he experienced some loss of sexual drive but this resolved when he stopped taking tamoxifen. When he felt rather on his own after his active phase of treatment, he looked into some complementary therapies. He became a reiki practitioner at this time and still uses this sometimes.

He cannot recall being given any written information and never met a breast care nurse, although he had a very good relationship with his surgeon. His wife was very supportive, but he also had other support networks including a men’s group that use drumming, meditation and rituals to work through issues. He has changed his lifestyle, embracing alternative therapies to make his life more meaningful. He views his body as a tool that enables him to live his life, doing the things he wants to.

Since his diagnosis he has worked as a volunteer and as a fundraiser with the charity Breast Cancer Care, speaking about his experiences to raise awareness of men with breast cancer.