“Check Yer Nuts!” by Matt Wakefield

Matt Wakefield - 'Survivor'

My name is Matt Wakefield. I’m 29, engaged to a beautiful lady and have two amazing twins, Sammy and Bethany. I also have one nut. Yep, I’m a Testicular Cancer Survivor.

I was diagnosed with cancer in June 2000, almost ten years ago. But that was only after ignoring a small pea-sized lump on my left testicle for nine months. I thought it would go away. I was also embarrassed about seeing the doctor. By the time I put went to the doctors it was way bigger, about the size of my middle finger and index finger put together.

Basically, my ignorance nearly cost me my life.

I had a left side orchidectomy and radiotherapy and nine years on I am now cured. I am even a daddy to 17 month old twins whom me and my partner had through IVF.

For almost 9 years I kept quiet about my one- ball status. Mostly out of the stigma of being seen as half a man, which I now know is utter crap. It wasn’t till I joined Facebook and posted my story on Testicular Cancer pages I started feeling better about myself. I also met fellow survivors, Darren Couchman and Nick O’Hara Smith who are absolute legends where it comes to raising awareness of this man killer. In july last year I travelled down to London and met these legends face to face when we did the Testicle Tour of London. I also met 14 other Survivors so I no longer felt alone. We had a great time- its not often you get to carry round a huge fluffy testicle and telling men to check their balls!

In August last year I met Tony at the hotel where I work. He’s a one baller like me so immediately we got on really well. He had Testicular Cancer at around the same time I did but he also left it till the last minute to have it diagnosed. The cancer came back as Lymphoma in his neck. He now has roughly two years.

If anything, this galvanized me. I was determined to make Testicular Cancer Awareness one of my highest priorities. With me and Tony it could easily be the other way round. It could even be easier to us have been both Survivors if only more men knew to check their balls on a regular basis.

On Saturday 23rd January we will be sitting in bath of nuts at Tescos in Dudley, near Birmingham, UK. For those outside the UK Tesco is similar to Walmart, Carrefour etc.

Why a bath of nuts? because the best time to check your nuts is in a warm bath. We hope to make a big noise and make people aware of this man killer and just how easy it is to check for the signs of it. We will also be collecting donations for Orchid Male Cancer to help fight male specific cancer, Testicular, Prostate and Penile.

Be sure to check out our page on Facebook, Be One Of The Lads, Check Your Nads where we will be posting many photos of this event.

Regards and have a good ‘un,

Matt ‘One Ball’ Wakefield
Proud Fiance
Proud Daddy
Proud Testicular Cancer Survivor

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 am and is filed under articles and tagged with , , , .