By Kate Bonsack
HEARING the words ‘you’ve got cancer’ would be hard for anyone’s ears.
And the support two Altona men offer to people who have heard those words, helps to ease their fear.
Both Leo Ledwich and Loftus Callanan are in remission from prostate cancer, and have been at ease sharing their experience to those in early diagnosis of the illness.
Their harrowing tales give hope to the men who call them filled with confusion and anger as they search for answers.
Mr Ledwich said he can’t always give the men the answers, but he helps where he can.
Mr Ledwich and Mr Callanan have been members of the Westgate Region Prostate Cancer Support Group, where eight years ago they were asked by a Cancer Council representative if they’d volunteer to counsel other prostate cancer victims over the phone. “The men are going through what women went through when breast cancer wasn’t talked about as much as it is today,” Mr Callanan said. “I wanted to help put men at ease, which I can do by talking about my experience with cancer.”
Mr Callanan had surgery to remove his cancer and Mr Ledwich went through radiation treatment.
The men talk to their clients about these techniques, to help them untangle their confusion.
“Most men who call us are confused about what they want to do, so we talk about what we’ve experienced and if the men want to get information about another method they can talk to someone else who’s had that experience,” Mr Ledwich said.
“People like to talk to us because we understand the rollercoaster of emotions when you first hear the diagnosis from your doctor. Some people talk to us before they’ve told their families.
“And a lot of men are worried about their sex life when they hear they have prostate cancer.”
The Cancer Council has telephone support programs for patients of all cancers and also uses family members, who have seen the devastation of cancer, as counsellors.
Cancer Council information and support service director Doreen Akkerman said another 100 family volunteers were needed to meet demand.
“We’re limited in the help we can provide because we’re not medical professionals, but we can sit listening to someone for more than an hour and it’s rewarding to know you are helping,” Mr Callanan said.
