Jakarta –
The man in Auckland, New Zealand, Joe Merrall (39) had to lose a third of his penis due to cancer. The initial symptom was blisters from the sweatpants he was wearing.
“I experienced every emotion known to man when I got my diagnosis,” Merrall said.
“I thought it was skin irritation from my penis rubbing against my pants, not an STI (sexually transmitted infection),” he said.
The man who works as a personal trainer at the gym felt the initial symptoms in the form of blisters on his penis in August 2022. But apparently, there was a strange lump at the end of his penis.
“It’s a small, pea-sized lump on the left side of the head that’s sensitive,” Merrall said.
Merrall then reported to his family doctor, who mistook the penile growth for an STI or yeast infection and prescribed him an antifungal cream. Doctors recommend that you consult again and be referred to a specialist if the condition continues to get worse.
Unfortunately, Merrall’s condition continued to deteriorate day by day. The lump turned out to continue to grow until it covered the urethra and grew on the shaft of his penis.
“It was so painful that even if I moved and I couldn’t urinate properly,” Merrall said.
Doctors diagnosed Merrall with a penile tumor on December 23. According to the Cleveland Clinic, penile tumors are malignant cells in the penis that grow out of control and are often caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Unfortunately again, the doctor suggested doing a total penectomy. Total penectomy is complete amputation of the penis to remove cancer cells.
Merall felt devastated when he heard that. In fact, he was numb and couldn’t hear what the doctor was saying at the time of his diagnosis.
“It’s like in the movies where everything goes quiet,” Merrall said.
“I told my little brother as I was living with him at the time and we started making jokes. I kind of laughed but then I lay down on the bed and cried,” he continued.
Merrall then entered a ‘self-pity’ phase by drinking alcohol until he passed out. In fact he stopped going to the gym because he was not ‘getting the point’ anymore.
NEXT: Undergoing Penis Removal Surgery
(after/kna)
