BBC Interview: Talking Cancer

[Marie-Cris]

I know everyone's heard the story a thousand times over, but it's nice to have something in his words about it.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4569806.stm

[neh]

Thanks heaps for that Marie! It's really poignant to hear about how his wife felt at the time aswell. Thank God it all tunred out ok.

[Marie-Cris]

Absolutely; in the audio interview I put up in the Music of the Night board yesterday he talks a lot about it and how he might not be able to do the things he can do if it wasn't for the cancer.

[windbelle]

Can someone explain why I can't open it??? I've tried over and over again, yet in vain. :-(
* My network is tricking me again?*

[Marie-Cris]

I honestly don't know; it's working fine for me.

[cinta]

It's a nice interview. I remember finding that one ages ago. It's a good and inspiring story. Three cheers for Anthony!

[Marie-Cris]

Hip hip: HOORAY!

[windbelle]

I've no idea now......well, then , can someone quote the interview or part of it for me?

[cinta]

Celebrity health - Anthony Warlow

Anthony had a very aggressive tumour
In a series on celebrities and their health, the BBC News website talks to Australian opera singer Anthony Warlow about his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Anthony began his career with The Australian Opera company at the age of just 19.

He has also sung with the London Symphony Orchestra and UK soprano Lesley Garrett.

His album The Best of Act One, a compilation of his recordings to date, achieved platinum status.


And he has been elected a "Living National Treasure" by the Australian National Trust for his lasting contributions to culture and heritage.


HOW DID YOU FIRST REALISE SOMETHING WAS WRONG?
I was first diagnosed in 1992.

I started to feel as though there was honey running through my veins and I felt all tired and listless.

When they told me I just fainted. It was the stress of it all


I had agreed to play a major role in Australia, and had been working on an album so I was very tired.

Then I noticed a pea-like lump behind my ear. I also noticed that I would get a sudden rush of blood to my head, like when you stand up.

On the morning of the launch of Jesus Christ Superstar, I got to my hotel and blacked out. I had just thought I was working too hard, but when they got me to my room it started to spin and they called for a doctor.


HOW DID YOU GET DIAGNOSED?
My brother-in-law, from a previous marriage, was a cardiologist.

He came and looked me over and felt the lump, which was just below my right ear and said he suspected it was a lymphoma.

He got a friend, who is a head and neck surgeon, to come and look at it too.

I went off the next morning to have a biopsy and I had the tumour removed.

It was diagnosed as malignant so I had to cancel my tour and tell the public that I was ill and what was the matter with me.

If I had not been working at the time of diagnosis, who knows whether I would have said anything. I might have just gone away for six to nine months and come back with no hair and made it into a fashion statement.


WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE DIAGNOSIS?
I didn't even know what the word oncology was before then.

When they told me I just fainted. It was the stress of it all.

Then I thought I have just got to get on with it all.

I found that I needed to know everything about it. I needed to know what was happening with my body and the journey I was going to have to take and how I was going to be able to help myself.

They told me I had an 80% chance of survival and I decided to concentrate on that .


WHAT WAS YOUR TREATMENT?
The treatment I had was fairly aggressive.

I had seven months of intravenous chemotherapy which knocked me around and then I had a course of radiation as well. My hair fell out.

I was only 30-years-old though, and was strong enough to stand the treatment.

I want back to work and then they said I had to take a six-month course of oral chemotherapy.

I knew then that I was not going to let it get me because I knew that I wanted to sing


I had to take 16 pills a day and I felt really tired.

I said to my oncologist that I felt like I was still on chemotherapy and he said that I was. I hadn't realised that was what the pills were.


HOW DID YOU FEEL DURING TREATMENT?
As a goal, when I was ill I had decided to try and learn all the songs from Schubert's Winter's Journey, in German. But I found I did not want to sing or be active.

I was feeling despondent.

I was facing the twin fear that I was going to die or that I could lose my voice - and I found that I was much more worried about losing my voice.

I knew then that I was not going to let it get me because I knew that I wanted to sing.



HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW?
I feel terrific now, more in control of my life. I feel as if I am part of a community of people who have gone through this.

But it also has an effect on other people.

My wife was just 21 when I was diagnosed, we had just been married and she had to face the fact that within a year she might be widowed.

We have now picked up the emotional pieces.

I also had to suffer the loss of my hair and for a while I felt embarrassed going out.


WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CONDITION?
I always say when I talk about it that I am a survivor and I am still here to tell them about it.

I tell people to be positive and that early detection is vital. It can be an aggressive tumour and the sooner you get it checked the better.

Don't be embarrassed about the lumps and bumps, just go and get yourself checked out. Get in there early.

He's so down to earth, which is awesome. I like that interview alot.

[windbelle]

Thanks for that, Cinta!

[cinta]

You're welcome!

[Leanne]

The most important message I got from that is not being embarrassed about the 'lumps and bumps'. There are so many of us, quick to dismiss things....

Glad for him and his family, that he is well now.

[mazza]

It's so important not to ignore anything like this whether we are embarrassed or not. Everyone should get all the regular checks done and do their own checks as well (men and women). Speaking from personal experience. I had a breast lump removed when I was 3 months pregnant over my eldest son. It all turned out to be OK. I still do my regular checks. More recently my son had a Lymph node removed from the right side of his neck. It was 4.2 cm thankfully it was all clear. The worrying is awful but sometimes not knowing is worse than knowing.

[Leanne]

I'm glad you recovered. Its always good to hear stories of people beating it.

[mazza]

@ leanne I was so lucky everything turned out to be benign and I didn’t have to worry about it. The doctors were concerned about the lump because I was pregnant. It turned out the worst things were having the surgery under a local anaesthetic because of concern about the baby and waiting for the test results. That’s what I mean about the not knowing being worst than the knowing. Everything goes through your head and in reality there maybe nothing to worry about as was the case for me. So always get things checked straight away.