Survivor's Ken McNickle Says His "Skin Was Tearing Open" From Cancer

Survivor’s Ken McNickle Says His “Skin Was Tearing Open” Before Being Diagnosed With Cancer

Ken McNickle is sharing a terrifying health battle.

The Survivor alum—who was the runner-up on season 33 of the CBS reality show in 2016—shared he's been diagnosed with cancer, explaining how he learned the news and the scary symptoms he experienced beforehand.

"That moment when you hear the words ... it's cancer and everything becomes muted," Ken wrote in a June 1 Instagram post over photos of himself in the hospital. "The doctor sounding like the teacher from Charlie Brown. You realize nothing is registering other than that one word."

While the reality star—who was a finalist on Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X in 2016—did not share details about what kind of cancer he is battling, he opened up about the concerning symptoms that led him to ultimately get medical help.

"I waited almost a year until my skin was tearing open to get this checked," he explained in a follow-up video shared June 3. "And had I gone in sooner, it would have been a simple procedure, not a 3-inch hole in my chest."

According to Ken, he "waited for almost three months seeing blood fill the stool every morning before getting checked out."

At that point, he said it was "confirmed" his "insides were tearing open."

He added, "I waited until that lump on my testes had grown to the size of the other two before getting it checked."

The 43-year-old admitted he regrets waiting so long to go to the doctor, sharing what may have contributed to his hesitation.

"I was wondering why so many times I had been so f--king stupid," he said. "And then it hit me this morning. Flashes from my childhood and adolescence, hearing the words, 'Stop crying. Don't be a baby. Don't be a bitch. Stop being a p---y. Just be a man.' I'm thinking that had something to do with it."

After he was diagnosed, the Colorado-based life coach said a "flood of questions" set in.

Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

"Why now? What did I do to deserve this? Why didn’t I come in sooner? After everything else, now this?" Ken wrote in his June 1 post. "And then the feeling of defeat and you hear the words 'f--k it' start to creep in. The beginning of the process of giving up. And then I think about my daughter, my lady and the life we want and how there’s another option… to fight."

"Because there's always a choice," he added. "And I'm choosing optimism, health, happiness and knowing that the spirit has me. And most importantly, I’m choosing love."

Yet, Ken believes his situation is an example of a bigger issue that needs to be addressed.

"There's an epidemic in regards to men's health and we’re not giving it enough attention," he wrote in the caption of his video. "We need to be talking more about why men are 50% less likely to go to a doctor for physical ailments and 60% less likely to get help with mental and emotional issues. Why do you think it is? What needs to change?"

Read on to see what more stars had to say about their own cancer journeys...

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