Coping With Your Mental Health While Managing the After Effects of Treatment
- A man, 54, who had an unsuspecting spot on the tip of his penis learned it was a sign of rare penile cancer, where tissues in the penis become cancerous. He underwent a total penectomy (removal of the penis) for treatment, leaving him to use a flexible tube to urinate.
- The man said he had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and less than a man without his penis, severely impacting his mental health.
- Patients must remember to put just as much focus and attention on their mental health as they do their physical health while battling cancer, as both impact their overall prognosis.
- A significant health challenge can impact your body physically and emotionally, causing noticeable changes to your appearance. Dr. Marianna Strongin encourages cancer warriors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their bodies impacted mainly by cancer treatment.
A 54-year-old former bus driver says he no longer has sex with his wife and copes with shame after losing his penis as he knew it to rare penile cancer.
“I was devastated: it’s every man’s worst nightmare,” Craig Mycock told the Daily Mail.
Mycock got another opinion from a urologist who explained it could be a symptom of penile cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, penile cancer “forms in the tissues of the penis,” and the human papillomavirus increases the risk for this type of cancer.
Symptoms of penile cancer may include “sores, discharge, and bleeding.”
“I was told it was an aggressive, fast-growing cancer, and they’d need to remove part of my penis,” because radiation and chemotherapy wouldn’t be effective, Mycock said worryingly.
The procedure Mycock was facing is called a penectomy. This procedure can remove the entire penis or partially to help treat penile cancer.
According to research published in the medical journal Urology, patients who undergo a partial penectomy for penile cancer “can maintain the quality of life at levels similar to those that existed in the period before surgery.”
However, Mycock had his entire penis removed, meaning his quality of life (social, psychological, and sexual) would be affected.
By the time of the surgery, his penis had become “scabby and slightly misshapen.”
I Felt Ashamed
After surgery, the tumor had been removed, and there were no signs of any cancer spread. However, Mycock struggled to accept his new body.
“I felt ashamed; I blamed myself, although I’d done nothing to cause it,” Mycock explained.
He had to urinate using a flexible tube that was inserted into the area where his penis would otherwise be.
“It was humiliating, and I hated using it,” Mycock said.
WATCH: Coping With Feelings of Anger
Mycock said the area where his penis used to be “felt numb,” making him feel “incomplete” and like he lost his sense of masculinity.
He experienced mixed feelings as he coped with his new body after penile cancer surgery.
“A sense of shame” that led to a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.
Although Mycock says his wife is content with his new body and is very supportive, he still copes with life without a penis. He undergoes six-month checks to monitor his testicles and lymph nodes to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned. Four years after the procedure, he’s in good physical shape despite recovering mentally.
“Even if my story can help one other man to avoid what I’ve gone through, I’d be absolutely delighted,” Mycock said, hopeful his cancer journey can make other men with a similar experience feel less alone.
Helping You Manage Your Mental Health
Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment
“Changes to your body may be temporary or permanent. They include changes that others can see, such as hair loss or weight gain,” MacMillan Cancer Support says, noting physical changes.
“Changes that are not obviously visible to others, such as infertility, can also affect your body image and make you feel vulnerable about your body,” MacMillian Cancer Support added.
One way to prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey.
WATCH: Coping With Your Mental Health Long-term
Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shares with SurvivorNet some additional tips cancer warriors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.
Dr. Strongin encourages cancer warriors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”
“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.
Dr. Strongin then suggests looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.
“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.
Helping You Manage Your Mental Health Along Your Journey
For cancer patients, a diagnosis undoubtedly impacts their mental health. If you are diagnosed with cancer or other chronic disease, you should be mindful of your mental health because it can affect your overall prognosis.
RELATED: Psychologist Dr. Samantha Board discusses managing mental health long-term
“For long-term mental health and living with cancer, flexibility is really at the core of how to manage long-term mental health,” says New York-based psychologist Dr. Samantha Boardman.
Dr. Boardman suggests asking yourself questions about how you deal with stressful situations to determine whether your strategies are working or need adjustment.
“Are your coping strategies in the way that you’re using them now? Are they as effective as they were in the past? Take a look at your beliefs. Do you have any fixed beliefs that are counterproductive and are impeding you from taking positive steps?” Dr. Boardman said.
To keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of subtle signs that something is affecting your mind. These signs include:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
- Turning to drink or drugs more than usual
- Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
If you struggle in any of these areas, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional to begin your emotional journey alongside your other cancer treatment.
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