Gordon takes on The MoonWalk London just weeks after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

“I’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. I’m more determined than ever to take on my Half Moon (15.1 miles) challenge at The MoonWalk London on 14^th May, to raise awareness that Men Get Breast Cancer Too.

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago and it was discovered totally by accident. I remember starting to feel some pain in my left nipple, but didn’t worry about it too much. Then I started to get all the classic signs of breast cancer – although I didn’t know that at the time. My nipple started to invert and crumbled a little. However, I just ignored it and didn’t go to the doctor to get it checked out.

About 8 months later, I had a severe asthma attack and it was so serious that I was taken to Salford Royal Hospital in an ambulance. Once I got to the hospital, they took one look at my chest and hit the roof! They sorted out my asthma issues within a few days, but they wouldn’t let me go home from hospital, until I’d been seen in the breast clinic. I had no idea at this stage that men could get breast cancer – it just never occurred to me. At the time, awareness of breast cancer in men was much less than it is now.

When I was told that I had grade 2 breast cancer I was totally shocked – I couldn’t believe it! Why me? My diagnosis had come totally out of the blue and we had no history at all of breast cancer in our family. Within ten days of being diagnosed, I had a mastectomy and my whole breast was removed. All my lymph nodes were taken out during the operation and they found a few cancer cells in one of them. I didn’t need any further treatment and just had to take the hormone therapy Tamoxifen for about six years. I recovered really well.

Fast forward to the end of 2021 and I signed up to take part in The MoonWalk London. I’d started working with Walk the Walk on their Men Get Breast Cancer Too campaign and by taking part in The MoonWalk I hope to raise even more awareness.

A few weeks ago, I discovered another lump on the same side of my body – above the area where my breast tissue had been removed and just below my collarbone. Because I’d been working with Walk the Walk, my awareness this time was much greater. As soon as I found the lump, I knew that it was dodgy.

Within an hour and a half, I was in my doctor’s surgery. My doctor was very concerned and referred me to the breast clinic immediately for tests. My fears were confirmed and I was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. Thankfully, we caught the cancer nice and early. It hasn’t spread, but as the cells have gone slightly into my collarbone it unfortunately can’t be cured this time. I’ve just got to live with my new cancer diagnosis and manage it. Rather than surgery, I’m going to be taking two different types of tablets, which will target my tumour and hopefully start shrinking it.

Ever since I was first diagnosed in 2006, I’ve been encouraging men to go to the doctors when they think something is wrong. I’m now living proof that it pays to be quick off the mark.

My new medication did floor me to start with, but I’m getting used to it now and nothing will stop me taking part in The MoonWalk. I’ve heard of people doing The MoonWalk a couple of days after finishing a session of chemotherapy, so if they can do it, so can I! My second breast cancer diagnosis has made me even more determined.

It’s quite a while since I’ve walked as much as 15.1 miles, but I’m up for the challenge and actually, aside from my cancer diagnosis, I’m feeling in pretty good nick physically at the moment, which will stand me in good stead. I gave up drinking alcohol a couple of years ago – I lost a lot of weight and am much fitter as a result.

It was only very recently that I finally met up in person with another man who had been diagnosed with breast cancer - although I have chatted to men online as part of the Virtual Meet-up (VMU) which Walk the Walk helped to set up. The VMU has been absolutely terrific and really useful in terms of sharing experiences with other men who have been through the same thing as me. The group is even more vital to me now, since my second diagnosis.

I can’t wait to meet some of the other men who are part of Walk the Walk’s awareness campaign, when we take on The MoonWalk London together on Saturday 14th May. We are all uniting in the same cause, to raise awareness that Men Get Breast Cancer Too. “

Thank you for sharing your story Gordon and we look forward to seeing you at The MoonWalk London 2022!

Register now for The MoonWalk London LIVE or Virtual!