An Armagh man battling cancer for a second time has urged people – especially men – not to ignore the signs and to “get yourself seen by a doctor early”.
Isaac Beattie recently underwent surgery at Craigavon Area Hospital for the removal of a rare strain of cancer from his salivary gland.
The 58-year-old will now undergo a round of radiotherapy as a precautionary measure.
Incidentally, it’s the second time Isaac has fended off cancer and is living testimony that “there is a future” beyond a cancer diagnosis.
“The whole secret is getting yourself seen early, diagnosed early, and doing your treatment,” said Isaac.
“So many folks, unfortunately, put it off too long, in that they don’t have the obvious symptoms until the later stages, or don’t pay attention to them in the first place.
“And I find that a lot of people, when they overcome cancer, don’t like to mention it, and the only people you hear about, unfortunately, are the ones who aren’t successful.
“But yet, the treatment rate is so successful. The problem is, a lot of people tend to treat the word ‘cancer’ with extreme dread and fear. However, it’s not what it used to be because the success rate and the treatment are so, so good nowadays.”
“The other problem,” says Isaac, “particularly with men like myself, is that there is a reluctance from men to go and get checked out, and unfortunately, sometimes it goes too far before they do. Then at that stage, it’s a lot worse, a lot harder to treat, and also it means there can be more long-term effects even after the treatment is finished.
“That’s another reason why I always tend to advocate that I tell people I’ve been through it.”
Isaac was first diagnosed with cancer back in September 2012; a malignant growth in one of his vocal cords. Fortunately, he was able to catch it early.
“But it taught me a lesson,” he said. “Because when I was finished, after the five years of check-ups, the consultant said to me that because of where I had the cancer and the scale it was at, it would have, within three weeks, progressed into the cartilage. That’s how quickly these things can turn.”
Isaac’s partner, Tanya, was the person who advised him to look into a cough which just wouldn’t shift at the time.
Twelve years later, a second health scare presented itself.
“It was back at the tail end of August last year, I had COVID, and that went on through September,” Isaac recalls. “My glands were quite swollen on both sides, but into October, one side returned to normal and the other side hadn’t. I sort of thought, ‘right, okay, maybe I should go and get that looked at’, so I did.
“I actually had an accident in October where I busted my arm and was off work. So when I was going to the GP with that, I also thought, ‘I’ll get this looked at too’.”
Isaac reserved praise for his GP in Tynan, Dr Grant, who referred him pretty quickly to ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) in Craigavon.
“So within a month, or just a little over a month, I went from seeing the doctor to actually seeing the consultant surgeon who then operated on me,” he explained.
“It has been a scary few months, especially for my partner, because for me there was so much happening and going on that you’re distracted, concentrating on appointments, whereas quite often for the other person, it’s harder for them.
“I’m glad I was keen to get checked out. Sometimes if there is an issue, it’s easy to put it to the back of your mind, but you’re still going to dwell on it and worry about it, and that’s not going to do your health any good either.”
Isaac was keen to stress how positive his experience was within the health service, which continues to be knocked from pillar to post.
“We tend to hear the horror stories about the queues and the mishaps that have happened, but from my own personal experiences – twice now – they have been brilliant, and I can say they have literally saved my life.”
Isaac appreciates he is one of the lucky ones but has not just attributed that to luck – it’s being aware of his own body and taking steps early. As for cancer itself, he has fended it off twice and remains positive for the years ahead.
“There is a bright outlook and there is a future to it,” he said. “But the secret is getting that help, and that help is out there. It’s only a matter of asking for it. Our health service may be under constraints and they may be under pressure, but the service they offer is fantastic. Don’t be afraid to use it.”
