FORMER Maryborough truckie Allan Lendon had to be driven to Ballarat daily in what he says was “the biggest kick in the backside ever”.
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Neglect for his own health had turned into a life sentence after Allan developed an aggressive melanoma. It started from a spot on the arm, window side from his driving, and took a couple of years to grow.
Then came shingles. After that, he said “everything went pear-shaped”. The spot rapidly grew and developed a rank smell. By this stage, it had already infiltrated glands across his body.
He now urges other men to man-up and get spots checked regularly by their general practitioners.
“I was always too busy. My lifestyle was work, work and work. I’m off a farm and the cows don’t get a day off, so you always worked...This is not something you can muck around with,” Allan said.
"I’m 68 my next birthday. I feel I had a bit of life in me...I never thought I’d go this way.”
Allan’s ‘sparky’ sobered up when told the story. The electrician signed up for Dry July, giving up alcohol for a month and channelling his fundraising to Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre. This is where Allan travelled every day for six weeks for radiation therapy.
He and wife Maria said the staff quickly became like family in such a difficult and surreal time.
Maria said having access to such treatment in Ballarat was invaluable, saving her the stress and cost of journeying and staying in Melbourne but also having great care relatively closer by.
“I honestly can’t put it into words,” Maria said. “You are treated with respect, dignity, care and empathy. They do it with a smile and joke.”
Allan said he went into radiation therapy with everything to win. But during his time in BRICC, he quickly realised from all his fellow patients that cancer has no favours.
So Allan and Maria want to use their story for prevention awareness.
The couple share six children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Maria pleas for people to stay on top of their health and visit a doctor, even if just for reassurance when something seems off.
“He was a ‘typical male’ and wouldn’t go to the doctor. Now, at the end of all this, Allan’s got a life sentence,” Maria said. “If you have family and friends and you love them, really love them, you would get checked. They are the one that will suffer.”
