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RORY MOONEY, A 64-year-old Dubliner, has had to face cancer not once, but twice – and like many men, he was reluctant to visit his GP when he started experiencing symptoms.
He only decided to get checked when his boss and wife urged him to go to A&E.
Rory, a retired firefighter, was diagnosed with lung cancer for the first time in 2008 after he felt a pain on the right side of his chest while on holiday in New York.
When he returned from the holiday his boss and wife insisted he go to A&E and he finally decided to go to Beaumont Hospital.
Rory’s wife Marion told TheJournal.ie: “He was going to get checked. It was either ‘you get in the car and go yourself or I’ll get an ambulance to take you’”.
Following x-rays, CT scans and blood tests Rory was diagnosed with lung cancer.
‘My world fell apart’
“When they did the scan they found out that there was cancer in the left lung, not the right one,” Rory said.
“My world fell apart to be quite honest with you. We weren’t even married a year and we were planning on going on holiday for our first wedding anniversary. I was told I would only get to go on holiday if they said I could.”
Earlier this year, the Irish Cancer Society said that over 75% of their interaction with the public is with women – which even includes questions around prostate cancer. This is because men often shy away from talking about symptoms they might have or avoid going to screenings to get checked.
The reluctance of men to openly talk about cancer is having a harrowing effect. Statistics show that men are 36% more likely to die of cancer compared to women, which is thought to be because of late diagnosis, leading to lower rates of survival.
Rory underwent a lobectomy and chemotherapy and returned to work as a firefighter.
He explained that while he had an inkling that something wasn’t right, he wasn’t prepared to accept it: “I was a firefighter at the time so I had an idea of what the body was doing to me. It was telling me to cop onto myself and get this thing sorted, not that my head would accept that at all.”
Like a lot of men, I just thought ‘Ah, it won’t happen to me’.
If you think you have a problem just go to your GP and get it checked. The days of the hard men are long gone.
In March 2016, Rory had a stroke and while undergoing tests doctors discovered that he had lung cancer again.
“My wife was going to work one morning, I heard her going out the door. I went to get out of bed, my feet hit the floor and then my face hit it. I had a massive stroke and when my wife came back nine hours later I was still on the floor kicking my leg against the ground,” Rory said.
“Marion called an ambulance and got me to hospital. They stuck me in for another scan and four weeks later they found I had cancer in my other lung, my good lung.”
TheJournal.ie asked Rory what he would tell other men about looking after their health and wellbeing: “Just stop smoking. I was seven or eight years off the cigarettes when I got it. I hadn’t been taking care of myself properly at all.”
You need to look after yourself all the time and you need to listen to your body. If it’s telling you something you need to listen to it and look for answers.
The stroke, the cancer recurrence and a bout of pneumonia left Rory with no option but to retire from the fire brigade.
“I’m sitting at home doing nothing now,” Rory said.
Marion advised all men to take better care of their health: “Always go for check ups. Never get complacent about it.”
The doctors would rather you go to see them and get it checked out rather than later on having to deal with the aftermath of not doing it.
The fifth most common cancer diagnosis in Ireland is lung cancer and nine out of every 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking.
National Men’s Health Week starts today. The campaign aims to increase awareness of the specific health needs of men to encourage them to talk about their health and lifestyle.
The ‘it’s all about him’ themed Men’s Health Week is bring over 70 organisations together to promote different topics throughout the week such as; men’s mental fitness, sexual health, heart health, smoking and alcohol.
More information about the week can be found here.
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A Claire Byrne live poll, are yous for real? About as much of a gauge of the nation as a Daniel o Donnel concert. How many people actually watch her show, 10 or 12?
@Shane Kinsella: It’s a poll of the general public done for the show, not a poll of those who watch the show.
@Joe Harbison: and yet Shane will get multiple ‘like / I’m an idiot’ thumbs.
@Michael Doyle:
Bring back red thumbs
We gave the biggest fraudster a state funeral! Apple gets away with billions!
Bankers get off scott free!
I think fraud should be across the board no just social protection.
@Adrian: and and and the the the ooothers that hhhhave defrauded us on radio giving us advice on brixit!
@Adrian: infacta.. nice one Adrian..
@EdmundOrlando: class lol
Why does he need a campaign to promote what the should be doing as daily part of job. He really is a media wh@&€
@lavbeer: That doesn’t make any sense. The campaign is to encourage people to report welfare fraudsters to the department. It will also hopefully have some deterrent effect. It is part of the job.
@lavbeer:
You are having a laugh. You are questioning why he needs a campaign to do something that you say he should be doing himself. Did you think before you posted that?
@Nick Allen: I did. Anti fraud would be done using technology and enforcement. I bet the advertisements will cost more than the savings
@lavbeer: “The Department of Social Protection has identified just one suspected case of identity fraud this year, it has emerged.” – Irish Times.
@lavbeer: He should be doing it himself…what are you talking about? Do you understand how government works. You know ministers don’t go and do everything in their departments. Comments on here getting more stupid by the day.
@Dante Marquinhos: Paying dividends already huh
@Niall Brew: Did I suggest he should do it himself? Don’t think so. Technology. Sharing data between departments is how it should be done. The facility to report should always be there.
Sean Fitzpatrick, Dobby, NAMA, Banks Vulture funds, all involved in fraud to one extent or the other. Costing the state 10s if not 100s of Billions.
Yet that rabib right neoliberal Leo only sees welfare fraud that costs millions, and want’s us all to be his rats.
The law is applied equally or not at all. You cannot ignore the wholesale corruption going on in the country and try and inspire a divisive witch hunt on those on the bottom rung of the ladder.
@Dave Doyle: he is just using supposed social welfare fraud as a technique of manipulation. It’s a manipulative device to appeal to those who are okay and resent assistance for those who need it. It is not about the issue itself; it is about appealing to a less noble quality in people. It is certain not a noble or improving condition. It is about targeting the wealthy and the vulnerable. It is about the politics of nastiness. People are easily manipulated and Veradkers knows how to pull the right strings.
@Dave Doyle: in
@lavbeer: in fairness to Leo his brief (for now) is social welfare. Why are we spending over 30% of our tax in this area. Now dig in there Leo and see what you can see. This campaign is stage managed PR stunt to appeal to the lowest common denominator
@lavbeer: How much has white collar crime cost you and everyone else in this country ? Why aren’t our jails filled with those ? As usual poverty is seen as a character flaw as is not being able to get yourself out of poverty. It’s always been like this. The poorest get treated the hardest the rich get away with everything. I know so many people working and doing nixers and don’t declare it and their wives mind kids and don’t declare it whilst claiming maternity benefit. No one is going after those are they ? Why ? A lot of these people are on FIS too. There is no equality in this country around justice
@lavbeer: How much has white collar crime cost you and everyone else in this country ? Why aren’t our jails filled with those ? As usual poverty is seen as a character flaw as is not being able to get yourself out of poverty. It’s always been like this. The poorest get treated the hardest the rich get away with everything. I know so many people working and doing nixers and don’t declare it and their wives mind kids and don’t declare it whilst claiming maternity benefit. No one is going after those are they ? Why ? A lot of these people are on FIS too. There is no equality in this country around justice
@Catherine Sims: Many of those working and doing nixers, wives minding kids etc, need that money for debt or to improve their lifestyle. A lifestyle the rich and well connected take for granted. I wouldn’t begrudge them one cent of it.
Tax Cheats, Cheat Us All.
@Bobby Moore: tax cheats like Apple
@Joe Mc: I don’t understand the logic are you saying that because on group got away with being dishonest then being dishonest is now OK?
Apple paid their legal amount? How does that tally with someone illegally claiming benefits?
@Joe Harbison: Looks to me like he gave an example of what a tax cheat is. Stop looking for things that don’t exist.
Better to change the system so that people aren’t discouraged from working.
@Ian Moloney: then you’d have to cut welfare to make a bigger gap between workers and non workers. That’ll go down like a lead balloon….
Something like Social Welfare cheating, however minor it is on a financial level, just invokes an immediate and automatic feeling of resentment and grievance. It is not about the objective reality but how it works on an emotional level of anger and hostility.
The issue obscures from the vastly more important and valuable role of Social Protection in preventing absolute destitution and conditions of massive social conflict.
Invoking Social Protection appeals deep down to the feeling that some people have that they resent any assistance to those who have been dealt a bad hand.
This issue of social welfare fraud is a manipulative device which appeals to the selfish and complacent traits in people.
Focusing on social welfare fraud is not the mark of a leader. It is a sign of a manipulative and cynical politician concerned with his own advancement by any means possible.
Prior to the effects of progressive income tax and thevalleviating effect of social protection Ireland is an extremely unequal society.
Veradker and his ilk just want to reduce the level of benefit for those who truly need it.
@Tony Daly: Rhetoric. Your argument is because the Department of Social Protection want to reduce fraud this means that the Minister wants to reduce the level of benefit to legitimate claimants. It’s a non-sequitur.
@Tony Daly: excellent comment, if this is the level Varadkar would stoop to to curry favour with the squeezed middle by targetting welfare recipients he could never be a leader, just a manipulator.
@Noirin Kavanagh: Wait so do you support people cheating the system or not?
@Setrakian: identity fraud only
There’s plenty of other ways of committing welfare fraud.
If leo takes a 50% pay cut then il support.. otherwise he’s talking garbage.
@ben:
Ludicrous. Govt ministers are not particularly well paid.
@ben:
Why would u support him if he took a pay cut? Personally, I like to support someone who is good at the job and with the right policies rather that simply supporting someone because they take a pay cut. You are being a tad short sighted
@Joseph Rooney: they’re not particularly good at their jobs either! I’d say some are down right incompetent.
@Joseph Rooney: hahaha joke
@ben: idiot comment.
@Joseph Rooney: Probably not in comparison to Mark Zuckerberg. Too well paid for what they do all the same.
Look at the articles above this. People say they need more money for smoking prevention, drug treatment, school buildings and MS therapy and they’re all valid arguments. If the money you need to pay for this is going to someone who’s being dishonest, social welfare fraudster, banker or politician’s friend, then there’s an opportunity cost where something else isn’t funded. If you know of a fraudster and don’t report them because you are not a ‘snitch’ then you lose a bit of legitimacy in complaining about the other things.
@Joe Harbison: nickel and dime it, while ignoring white collar crime of billions defrauded. Sooner FG is pushed out of power the better
Firstly, people didn’t say they support his policy, they said they support reporting tax cheats. 2 very different things.
Secondly, and more importantly, this is a very reductive policy point. Let’s all pick on each other. The much bigger problem is corporate tax fraud, or tax evasion by wealthy individuals. This is classic Varadkar: pit the small people against each other.
Does this mean that since Leo is cracking down on welfare fraud that we can expect Catherine Zappone to be prosecuted seeing as she was caught fiddling her mileage expenses?
Leo should worry more about white collar crime. That’s where the problem is. Already wealthy people thinking they’re entitled to more without paying for it. Greed begets greed.
@lavbeer: To create a distraction.
vad would know all about lying like most politicians ,just say what he thinks you want to hear ,they never emphasise the hokey stuff they Ger up to
The poll should ask,
Who commits the biggest fraud, THE STATE or the General public.
Funny how people just want to turn a blind eye to welfare fraud
Ah sure the bankers did it so go after them
No, welfare fraud is a massive problem too. Why can’t we tackle both
What a ridiculous suggestion that we turn a blind eye to one crime because of another one
I really worry for Irish society. People seem to think breaking the law doesn’t really matter because of da bankers.
So if we are to believe Leo (at your own risk that is) the “Public Services Card” that was rolled out was a complete failure. Funny I haven’t heard anybody mention this yet?
Now wouldn’t they save billions by investigating governance fraud ..
The furious reaction by a small minority to tackling this crime simply demonstrates how much welfare fraud there is. Some people are very uncomfortable with the idea of their being caught stealing from other citizens.
#catchthecheats
#leothelionheart
@alphanautica: #lickleosarse
While I would support any kind of crack down on fraud in this Country, for Leo and all in Government and in our Justice system and for those that live in glass houses we need fraud and corruption to be tackled from the Top down. Our Country is so corrupt and while you have the high up in society getting away with fraud we go after the one’s the government knows they can catch by getting thy neighbour to tellie tattler on them, but the real fraudster can walk out of court and celebrate.
Divide and conquer is Varadker’s mission here and predictably the pawns are falling for it.
why would they not support sorting welfare fraud, they possibly would like a new commissioner too , the money NAMA lost and the money from Apple, that not newsworthy..
Minister for Social Protection. Now can someone explain were Nama, Apple and Sean Fitzpatrick and his ilk fall within that remit please. Some of the comments here are clearly people just ranting about something that is not in anyway linked to the topic at hand, other than in their own heads.
Poll shows most people are against welfare fraud yet all the Journals daily commentators are furious at campaign. Go get jobs losers.
@Paul Gallagher: if you’re trying to make a point, it’s not very clear. Are you trying to say all Journal commenters who oppose your view are unemployed? What are you basing that on?
@Paul Gallagher:
Cute go make out with leo the poof.
I wouldn’t rely too much on any information coming from her show!! Claire Byrne is journalism at its very worst!! I doubt many people would watch her show anyway!! She just loves to hear her own voice!! Never really listens to what her guests are saying!! Were we not cheated by our Government also?? Who bailed out the Bankers?? We did!!!
Any chance of clamping down on the big fish first? Dodgy bankers for example, arrest them and put them on trial…oh wait….
Guess this only applies to the general public…sorry Leo, as you were….
If Leo is leader I will never vote for the party again, note he had to be moved from health after 18 months, we should have a leader that every 12 months the party members can vote to keep him or out
The question was phrased poorly. Would you report a cheat? Yes. Would you turn against and rat on your neighbour? No. Overall the campaign is in poor taste, ignoring the bigger entities that are relieved of such taxation responsibilities in a very unfair tax system, while preying on the poor and vulnerable.
First he’s saying that public services will be banned from striking (good look enforcing that ya pleb) and now he’s doing a classic political move of trying to shift the blame from the banks to people fraudulently claiming benefits. Which of the banks and benefit fraud do you think costs the state significantly more than the other? May as well shtick em in a blue shirt to fu(k
20,000 cases reported last year , 160 referred to public prosecutions for prosecution .
So far this year there has been 1 prosecution .
Leo is the only fraud in all of this https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/single-case-of-social-welfare-identity-fraud-suspected-this-year-1.3102211?mode=amp
Please fact check politicians before printing their claims. Making up stats. 70 percent going to the disabled and OAPs? That is not substantiated by actual census data which says half of the welfare expenditures are going to people of working age: http://www.publicpolicy.ie/social-benefits-in-ireland/
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