I WANTED TO KEEP CANCER FIGHT SECRET
RYAN EDWARDS admits he initially hoped to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret from his parents as the courageous Dundee United star reflected on the biggest fight of his life.
The Liverpudlian defender was diagnosed with testicular cancer following a scan on New Year’s Day of 2018, leaving Edwards – just 24 years at the time – shellshocked.
However, his Plymouth Argyle manager at the time, Derek Adams, helped him come to terms with the news – and the fact he would need the support of his family in the months to come.
Edwards said: “The [Plymouth] club doctor rang me to come to the ground and have a chat.
“Although the oncologist did the scan and told me it was abnormal, I just thought blocking a ball in training had done me some harm.
“I got to the ground and the doctor, manager and physio were all there. I walked through the door and the doctor told me to take a seat.
“The manager Derek didn’t know what was going on. The doctor just dropped the news, ‘You have testicular cancer’ and went through what could happen in terms of going home now, stopping playing and seeing my family.
“I’m not trying to act the big man or the hard man but I asked the doctor if there was any way I could hide it and not tell my mum and dad.
“The manager was the one who said, ‘Look, you can’t do that’.
“When I told my mum and dad, they were in bits and didn’t know what to say.”
Edwards underwent surgery and doses of chemotherapy as he fought the illness and was given the news that he had beaten cancer in April 2018.
Remarkably, he was back for pre-season training and returned to action for Plymouth on August 4 – fittingly finding the net against Walsall just eight months after his world had been turned upside down by the diagnosis.
He told DUTV: “I had the op on January 18 and after that you need six weeks of rest and chemotherapy for four weeks, which was tough.
“That was the hardest bit for me.
“But I was cleared on the April 10 and then back in for pre-season training again as if nothing had happened.
“It was good to get back and the support I received was brilliant. It was a crazy experience.”