The Swallows Australian Edition Magazine

It’s better to get help
early - Garry Power
At the time of my diagnosis, I was working as a
senior lawyer. One morning, I was on the
phone to a client and looking out the window. I
was running a hand over my chin when I felt
the lump. I actually said to the client, “I’ve just
felt this lump, so I’m going to see my GP.
Goodbye.” I had a needle biopsy the next day
and the results were significant. It was
squamous cell carcinoma and it was
metastatic.
The cancer diagnosis knocked me for six. I
went into a deep black hole. The fact that it was
“unknown primary” didn’t affect me at the time
– I didn’t grasp what metastatic meant.
Within a week or so, I’d had surgery to remove
all the lymph nodes down one side of my neck
and most of my molars. They did another
couple of biopsies to look for the primary, but
couldn’t find it. The doctors guessed the
cancer had started in my mouth, but I had a fair
complexion and red hair, so it might also have
started somewhere on my skin.
I talked about further treatment options with my
doctors and we agreed to forge ahead
regardless. I was 51 and fit, so we decided on
a broad approach that combined strong
chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
I got a great deal of help from the allied health
professionals at the hospital. The dietitians
helped me work out what I could eat. A speech
pathologist helped me develop new chewing
and swallowing techniques. A physiotherapist
helped restore the range of movement in my
neck and shoulder – the radiotherapy had
cemented all the muscles. However, I didn’t
see a psychologist at that stage, and I think it
would have been better if I had.
Once the acute phase of treatment was over, I
went back to work. With hindsight, I can see it
was too early. The chemo and radiotherapy
had broken down my body’s systems and I
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ended up with chronic fatigue, a problem that I
still have to manage. It led to a loss of
productivity, and my employer didn’t really
grasp the issues. A lawyer’s work is all about
performance indicators and meeting budget,
but no allowances were made. I never got back
to normal at work and about six or seven years
after treatment, I accepted redundancy. I’m
now semi-retired and run my own consultancy
– I find that working for myself allows me to
manage the fatigue well.
If I had my time over, I probably would have
asked more questions of the treatment team.
They were magnificent – it was like they picked
me up in their big warm hands and carried me
through the initial stages. But in the blackness
of the initial diagnosis, I wasn’t going to ask
many questions and I didn’t press them for
information. I felt that I wasn’t really forewarned
about the fatigue and the cognitive changes –
the long-term impact. It meant I didn’t think to
raise the issues with my manager. The
changes aren’t just physical, they are also
cognitive and psychological.
I probably come across as a fairly optimistic
and together person, but after the treatment
was over, I struggled with anxiety about the
cancer recurring. The fact that the primary
cancer wasn’t found added to that anxiety – it
was an extra element. It was recommended
that I see a psychiatrist about a year or so after
my treatment had finished, but it would have
been better to get help earlier.