Fareham dad encourages men to visit GP if they have problem

Ian Hooper was treated at St Mary’s Hospital, in Portsmouth, after he was diagnosed with a hernia.

Initially the businessman tried to ignore the pain and told himself it would go away.

But when it started to affect his business and his daily life, he decided to go to see his GP.

Ian, from Fareham, said: ‘I was carrying my 12-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, to the car when I heard a pop. I knew something had gone seriously wrong but, like most men, I decided to ignore it.

‘When the pain got worse I just told myself it would go away.’

Ian runs a business supplying specialist cleaning equipment for a range of clients including schools, factories and hospitals.

As the pain got worse he became unable to help his team move deliveries to the company’s warehouse in Portsmouth.

Ian was also worried the pain was beginning to affect his ability to cope with the more physically demanding aspects of caring for his daughter.

He added: ‘I decided I had to go and see my GP. He thought it was a hernia but said I would need confirmation from the hospital.

‘I was not looking forward to that as, like most people, I don’t like visiting hospitals.’

Ian chose to be treated at St Mary’s.

‘I was surprised from the moment I walked in,’ he said.

‘Everyone was very cheery and professional.

‘The consultant saw me and immediately confirmed the diagnosis of a hernia.

‘He said it would need an operation and I was pleased to find out I only had a month to wait from the initial consultation to the operation itself.’

Ian had the operation as day surgery, arriving at 7.30am and leaving the centre in Fratton later in the afternoon. The operation was a complete success and Ian is moving towards a full recovery.

He added: ‘I would encourage anyone, especially any man, who has a medical concern not to do what I did and take the “tough it out, it will be alright” line.

‘We all have people that depend on us and need us to be well. Don’t be brave, be sensible.’

Hospital director Penny Daniels said professional attention can help get people back on their feet swiftly.

She added: ‘Men in my family, and even some of the medical professionals I have worked with over the years, have shared Ian’s initial instinct not to make a fuss and to “tough it out”.

‘But swift, caring and professional attention will have them back on their feet and fighting fit in no time.’