Former Tremendous League star Micky Higham has opened up on being identified with Stage 4 most cancers and says he’ll “meet it head-on”.
Higham, who performed for Leigh, St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves, was initially identified with Stage 3 melanoma in November 2022.
After surgical procedure and immunotherapy he acquired the all-clear however in June this 12 months, he was informed the most cancers had aggressively returned.
“I was just doing weights at the gym,” mentioned Higham on the newest episode Sky Sports activities’ The Bench with Jenna and Jon podcast.
“For some reason, I just had a bit of a prodder in my chest and I felt a bit of a lump. Men being men, ‘it’s all right, it’s only a bit of a lump’. I just kind of thought nothing of it.
“Then sort of left it just a few weeks. The lump received a bit greater. My spouse mentioned, ‘simply go and get it checked out’. Reluctantly, I went to the medical doctors. I mentioned I’ve received a lump and he mentioned it was in all probability some influence from the rugby.
“Then just before I left he asked me one question: ‘Does it wake you up in the night or anything?’ And I said, ‘now and again, it just aches a little bit at night’.
“He went, ‘proper, I will ship you for an ultrasound, simply in case’. I am so glad he despatched me as a result of that was the primary time that they discovered the melanoma in me, which I believed was in my chest, but it surely was in my lymph node close to my armpit. I went to St Helens hospital and I received every thing all eliminated and I used to be most cancers free.”
Higham is seen as a Tremendous League legend for Leigh
Nonetheless, the most cancers returned over two years later and the previous Tremendous League champion is hoping to get therapy abroad after informed he couldn’t participate in a UK-based medical trial.
He defined on his second analysis: “I had arthritis in my big toe, and the pain was getting to me. So anyway, I managed to get in and get it fused.
“When you may have operation, you put on them daft sneakers, so I used to be strolling humorous on it. Then after about two or three weeks, I simply received an ache in my leg.
“I was like, ‘oh, it must be because I’m overcompensating. I’m walking on my good side.’ So again, just doing what you do because you crack on. I thought I was overusing on my right leg. I was just driving the car one day, and I was like, ‘I’m going to pull over, this is killing me’. I stretched it off.
“I left it just a few extra weeks. For some purpose, I’ve simply felt my buttock, my proper glute, and I had a little bit of a lump in my glute. So I simply thought it have to be a little bit of a knot from placing all my weight on one facet.
“I left it another week or two. And I just had a prod again, and it felt like a golf ball. I thought, ‘this is not a knot’.
“I believed, ‘God, I hope it isn’t come again once more right here’. However trying again now, I feel a part of me knew it had in all probability come again.”
Higham: Please get your self checked out
All through the podcast, Higham praises the employees at The Christie in Manchester, a specialist NHS most cancers centre.
The 44-year-old has a fundraising web page to assist pay for the costly abroad therapy and can stroll between Leigh and Salford on Sunday August 24 which the general public can be a part of.
He mentioned: “Please go and get it checked out. You might think you’re stupid that you’ve got a little mole on your hand or something, just a little scab on your cheek or your arm.
“Something you are not sure about or one thing that is coming out of your thumb like that, go and get it checked out since you simply by no means know.
“I know what men are like, ‘I’ll be all right’. That’s the old stigma with men. That was me. It was a harsh lesson for me. Luckily I got it before it was too late the first time. Obviously, it’s unlucky that it’s come back.
“Something you are not sure of that does not really feel proper, simply go to your physician and get it checked out as a result of that is what they’re there for.
“It’s been challenging, tough times. But, being a rugby player over the years, having tough challenges in sport and in life, I think it’s kind of put me in good stead at the moment.
“I am simply attempting to maintain it constructive and take every day because it comes. No matter problem comes, I will meet it head-on and do what I must do.”
If you want to donate to Micky’s fundraising enchantment, you’ll be able to achieve this right here.
