In Episode 41, Sunny and Mayank sit with Hugo Toovey.
Hugo was living a normal life and completing his training at The Australian Defence Force Academy when suddenly his life was turned upside down when he found an unusual lump on his testicle. After getting it checked out by a GP he was later diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Hugo continued his training and later underwent chemotherapy which was an incredible battle to face at such a young age of 21.
Fast forward 5 years and Hugo received his final 'all clear' and was cancer free until a few short months later he noticed an abnormality in his stools which was quickly diagnosed as bowel cancer.
Hugo shares with us the brutal truths of taking on cancer including the mental struggles, the family sacrifices, the confidence kicks and the incredible vulnerability needed to fight such a battle.
Not only has Hugo defeated cancer but he is now spreading the important message for young people to regularly get checked through his 25 Stay Alive campaign. He is key note speaking Australia wide while being an ambassador for Movember and The Jodi Lee Foundation as well as his duties of Captain in the Army.
We hope this episode touches you all and prompts each person to check themselves and encourage loved ones to get checked frequently.
Don't forget if you like the episode it would be a huge help if you could subscribe, rate and leave a review! Stay safe and enjoy!
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This is obviously a pretty heavy topic and this chat isn’t designed to scare people. It’s just to show that we need to be more proactive with our health in general. There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.
LifeLine - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/
Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/
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As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.
Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!
If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.
For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
