Breast cancer survivor provides in-depth account of his experience, shares advice for other men

In 2014, after telling his primary care physician he had noticed a small bump on his chest, Khevin Barnes was diagnosed with breast cancer. A mastectomy of his left breast followed.

Barnes, who has been cancer free for years now, shared his experience in a column for HuffPost. For instance, he described how going through all of this has affected the way he thinks about his own body.

“As a competitive runner for nearly 40 years, I was proud of my healthy body and my ability to run repeated marathons,” Barnes wrote. “Cancer took that away. I gave up the thought of ever having a chest that looked ‘normal’ again. And I gave up the steadfast belief that I was certain to live long enough to be an old man.”

Barnes also wrote about why he made the decision to forgo chemotherapy, discomfort caused by his mastectomy scar, the benefits he receives from practicing Zen meditation daily and the advice he has for all men.

“We need to get used to feeling our chests and under our arms regularly and keeping an eye out for any unusual changes, no matter how innocuous they may seem,” he wrote. “Early detection is always a good thing.”

To read the full column from Barnes, click the link below.