Sean Defoe has opened up on the last 12 months as it has been just over one year since his cancer diagnosis.
The Newstalk political correspondent was diagnosed with testicular cancer last October after noticing a pain in one of his testicles.
He didn't share his diagnosis at the time, but went public with the news in May earlier this year.
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Speaking to Andrea Gilligan on Newstalk's Lunchtime Live yesterday, Sean said: "It's not been my favourite 12 months, fair to say. I was diagnosed last October with testicular cancer and it's been weird for me the last few weeks, because obviously the election campaign, it's been flat to the mat. I love elections, but I've had all the anniversaries fall during the election. Last week, when we were doing the live shows with you, it was a year on since I had started chemo.”
With it being around a year since he was diagnosed and started treatment, Sean was reflecting on his return to work earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, there are so many more people getting cancer young now,” Sean said. “Particularly, bowel cancer, for example, we’re seeing rising rates among young people.
“The knock on effect is that, yes, thankfully, so many more people are returning to work healthy and getting over it.
“But getting back to work after a life changing diagnosis like that is not exactly the easiest thing, so I want to start a bit of a conversation.”
Sean said he decided to throw himself in at the “deep end” when he returned to work in the middle of the local and European elections, but afraid he might experience brain fog - one of the many side effects of chemotherapy.
“When you’re coming up to something like an election, you’re trying to remember hundreds of candidates across the country, who they stand for and where they’re running,” he told Andrea. “I was just really worried I was going to blank on air and it has happened to me a couple of times on air.
“I was covering The Anton Savage Show one day and I turned around and said, ‘So, Paul, what do you think?’ He said, ‘Well, I’m John.’”
However, he has praised Newstalk for their support, saying: "I have to say everyone here at Newstalk was very, very good about that and phase in, work from home when I needed to."
Thankfully, despite the busy period of the general election, Sean said he is "feeling good".
English (US) ·