Alan Murphy, communications and insights manager at Health Shield, speaks to Health & Protection about not being adequately prepared to be told he had testicular cancer, the mental health challenge he faced, benefitting from a supportive employer and putting his health first, the reassurance from having private medical insurance in place as well as the importance of early checks.
Feeling a lump
“I first felt a lump in late October 2023 but wasn’t convinced it was particularly unusual and on some days it felt a little more pronounced than others,” Murphy tells Health & Protection.
“Like many people, I don’t usually go to the doctors at the first signs of an issue but decided to pursue it on this occasion,” Murphy continues.
“As with many doctors I first had a telephone conversation, but it was followed up with a face-to-face appointment on the same day.
“Interestingly, the doctor wasn’t initially overly concerned with the lump but stated that I knew my own body better than anyone, and if I felt it was different and a worry then they should refer me to the hospital.”
Cancer diagnosis
While Murphy subsequently received an appointment for an ultrasound and was seen by the hospital within a couple of weeks, at the time he still believed he was wasting the doctor’s time.
“I had a follow up appointment with a consultant and despite my partner coming with me was invited to the consultant’s room on my own,” Murphy continues.
“I was still clinging onto the hope that everything was all right and scared that it wasn’t – I’m not sure anyone is ever prepared to be told, ‘You have cancer’.”
Telling loved ones and colleagues
The first challenge Murphy faced following diagnosis was telling his nearest and dearest.
“One of the first challenges is how you tell your partner, a waiting room full of people doesn’t seem quite right but if everything was okay then you think it would be hard to hide the relief,” Murphy says.
“It therefore ended up being a hospital corridor, a quite overwhelming message whilst trying to remain strong, knowing that success rates for treatment are so high,” he continues.
“Communicating the news was always going to be difficult with my parents and children obviously affected and worried.
“One of the strangest experiences was telling colleagues, sometimes on a video call, you can see people wanting to give a reassuring message but also struggling to find words as they didn’t feel enough.”
Employer support
Thankfully for Murphy, he benefitted from a supportive employer.
“I engaged with our HR team as soon as I had my diagnosis and so many people within the business were so wonderful,” he notes.
“The first message was to put my health first, all aspects of work that may be a worry including absence, pay, deadlines etc. I didn’t need to worry about.
“I realise that I was very fortunate to have this support. It wasn’t something I’d thought about initially, but I’m aware how much of an impact balancing work, life and cancer could be without having such support.”
NHS treatment
And while Murphy did not end up using his group PMI, he did speak to his company’s provider.
“I have PMI through work and engaged with my PMI provider, speaking to them soon after my consultation,” Murphy says.
“Due to the speed of treatment that the NHS was providing for testicular cancer, the PMI couldn’t offer a service that would be any quicker.
“They offered to engage with people at the NHS and other support services such as counselling should I require it which provided a level of reassurance that support was there should I need it.
“Even though I didn’t use my PMI benefit, that fact that it was available if I needed it was really important.
“It underlined that I work for an organisation that cares about their employees and has support in place when they need it the most. This is also reflected in the culture they have created.”
Mental health challenge
And while it was his body that under attack from the cancer, Murphy adds he also faced a mental health challenge.
“Despite being quite a pragmatic person, in the time leading up to my treatment my sleep was impacted and anxiety levels raised,” Murphy says.
“Any letter about my treatment, moving of an appointment date or additional check that the hospital wanted to do would cause immediate concern.
“Again, being able to work flexibly and knowing I had the support of my workplace made a huge difference to me in being able to proactively and reactively manage my health.
“I had my surgery successfully in December and a second hospital stay followed due to an infection, putting my progress back a little.
“The support from my workplace continued during my phased return to work and follow up appointments which will continue for another four to five years.
“Working for an organisation that puts employees first through their policies and employee benefits including PMI, a health cash plan and support services such as counselling is very reassuring.”
Learning not to sweat the small stuff
While Murphy’s physical recovery has been fine, his mental health challenge is ongoing.
“My physical recovery has been absolutely fine, a few sessions of providing blood for tumour markers and having scans have passed without issue,” Murphy says.
“I do feel from a mental health perspective, I have learned a few things about how I react and cope with things,” he adds.
“Despite receiving good news during my subsequent hospital visits, I do find I am quite anxious in the lead up and this can again impact my sleep, make me a little short-tempered and I tense up physically.
“I’m sure these reactions are quite common and I will learn to ‘not sweat the small stuff’ and be more aware of these things in the future.
“It also underlines to me how important it is for organisations to offer support for both physical and mental health as the two are so interrelated.”
Okay to not feel okay
And Murphy describes the support from organisations like MacMillian as “absolutely brilliant”.
“The information provided, around often difficult topics, was very straightforward and reassuring – including shared stories from others that had been on the same journey,” Murphy says.
“One of the ways I have celebrated my recovery and tried to give back was riding the Manchester 100 bike ride in September this year, raising money for The Christie and MacMillan.
Being a positive voice
And Murphy who is pictured here sporting his Movember moustache says he would like to support others by being a positive voice for healthcare and experiencing cancer.
“The importance of getting checked as soon as you feel something is wrong can be so crucial to having a successful outcome,” he notes.
“I also talk to people about not feeling guilty about feeling worried and anxious, often people tell patients that they are brave and they feel the need to live up to this. It is okay not to feel okay about it all.”