Testicular cancer survivor David Caulfied has told Newstalk that he is delighted to be “living in cancer free land” just over a year after his initial diagnosis.
“I’m actually really good. I have been in cancer free world since last year and I had my most recent test results come in at the beginning of January - which happen regularly as part of a surveillance programme,” David told Lunchtime Live.
“And as much as you get a bit nervous about them coming up, I am really glad that I got the results back and I’m still living in cancer free land!”
“In September 2020 I came across a lump on my left testicle and [after] speaking to a friend I took immediate action and treated it quite seriously and I was right to do that”.
Don't just talk bollocks, check them 🍒👌
Testicular cancer is 98% curable if caught early - and it only takes 2 minutes a month to check yourself 👏 Learn how today: https://t.co/vDQkDrISUc#TalkingBollocks #WorldCancerDay pic.twitter.com/863UWtWZBL— The Robin Cancer Trust (@RCTcharity) February 4, 2022
As a result of the discovery, David was wheeled into surgery for an orchidectomy to remove his left testicle after which he spent six weeks recovering:
“They did tests on the testicle they removed to check and see whether further treatment was required and thankfully I was deemed cancer free following the orchidectomy and then I didn’t need any further treatment in the form of chemo or radiotherapy,” David described.
“So I always count my lucky stars that that was the path that was laid out for me and that I was really lucky not only to have that be my result but that I caught it early enough and I had the awareness of my body to know to do something about it because that’s what saved my life.”
525,600 minutes since I had cancer removed from my body! #testicularcancer #cancerfree #checkyourballs pic.twitter.com/FO6RYFD1Xt
— David Caulfield (@Davidpresents) October 13, 2021
At the time he was living at home with his parents in Swords because of the pandemic; previously he had been living in London and although he went to see his GP in Ireland first, they recommended that he get his treatment in Britain where it would be entirely cost free:
“It was a very difficult decision to be in and go away and be treated for cancer or stay at home and be treated for cancer,” he recalled.
“No one can really prepare you for those decisions… But I’m sure that whether I stayed at home or whether I was here, I would have been treated just as well.
“And I was very lucky.”
Fortunately for David, he had kept himself in excellent condition during the early stages of the pandemic:
“I was in a really good shape physically and mentally, I’m a life coach, so I spent a lot of time online doing all of that throughout 2020, so I was in a good place mentally as well… So I was in tiptop shape and so I think in essence that prepared me for anything that came my way.”
Main image: A man's chest. Picture by: Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Images.
