Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Greg Rutherford has spoken of his terror after having a cancer scare during the lockdown earlier this year. Posting a snap of himself in the countryside with his wife and children on Instagram, he explained exactly what had happened, writing: "I've always felt somewhat invincible physically... but during lockdown that invincibility took a massive knock."
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The athlete continued: "While we were all cooped up in our homes doing our best to steady the horrible scenario that COVID had created, to put it bluntly, I found a lump on one of my balls. Rather than accept it was there, I ignored it and created distractions like training again and using my physical strength to overpower the unknown."
Greg posted a message encouraging others to get checked out
Luckily, when Greg finally went for an appointment and had a scan to check everything was okay, he was told that the lump was harmless. Writing about his relief, he added: "I was told it was cysts! BLOODY CYSTS. But most importantly nothing to seriously worry about. I don't think I've felt relief like it.
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Fans were quick to offer their support as well as share their own stories, with one writing: "Such an important post. I found a lump two years ago and for me too it turned out to be something innocuous but that was a tough couple of months of not knowing even after seeing the GP." Another person added: "Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend cancer or it’s treatment to anyone. Early detection is key!! Love this post Greg send my love to Susie and the boys."
Greg Rutherford is supporting Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, that brings the UK together to accelerate life-saving cancer research. Get involved and donate at SU2C.org.uk