Since November 2020, I’ve been experiencing physical health issues, on top of the mental health issues.

Early November, I collapsed at home after suffering from dizziness periods and was taken to the royal hospital to be checked out. CT scan came back clear, heart trace came back clear and doctors didn’t know what it was. I was sent home with tablets, which did nothing.

January came around and the same thing happened again. It was groundhog day and all the same things happened in hospital, with no answers again. So back home I went and kept feeling like I was having a stroke on a daily basis.

February comes around and a 3 collapsing episode happens in a local shop. Back to the royal hospital, with further tests. Migraines was the answer. I never suffered from them but 4 months of daily and solid headaches took its toll and was the cause of my collapsing.

New tablets and changes to my exercise and (touch wood) I’ve not had a bad episode in a few weeks, but this brought on another physical health problem.

I’ve suffered from perianal abscesses before, but hadn’t had one in over 2 years and thought I was over them. Apparently not. So back to the royal, again, and surgery was needed 2 weeks ago to drain it and remove the tissue that caused it.

When I came around from the surgery, I noticed swelling in and around my testicles. I pointed it out to the surgeon, who brushed it off and told the junior staff to refer me to Urology.

2 weeks later (today, 20/04/21) and I’m back in the royal having an ultrasound on my testicles. Uncomfortable and sore, the urologist, Dr Alli, admits there is a issue with my right one and the infection from the abscess hadn’t been treated right, leading to what I can only describe as black inner thighs, that need looked at with my GP, asap.

Called the GP surgery after leaving the royal, to he greeted by the receptionist who cheekily told me the GP’s don’t do call backs after 11am and to call back tomorrow. I tried explaining this was urgent, but no, her lunch break was due.

So here I am, with more physical health problems, adding to my mental health state and I’m trying to stay as positive as I can, as well as dealing with other issues as well.

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A short story on when I felt alone and asked for help.

January 2014, Maguiresbridge, Fermanagh. I woke up beside my fiancee (now ex wife) and felt extremely low, not my usual bubbly self and tried to explain to her I didn’t feel well. Back then, you could just turn up at your GPs surgery for a walk in appointment and be seen.

I did so and he diagnosed me with a mental health condition and depression, simply from bursting out into tears over a few simple issues bothering me.

I went home and told my wife to be what had happened, she laughed it off. As did her family who lived around us. Looking back, this definitely made things worse and I didn’t tell my own family what was going on.

I told one friend, who I no longer speak to about how things were and he was concerned, organised a guys night out in Belfast and I told the others attending how I was feeling. None of them knew how to approach this, and I broke down in front of everyone. (March 2014 – tbc)

Hey, I’m Russell. I feel the need to spread the word of lack of help for the male population in Northern Ireland.