A fight few men face

Deepa Bharath

Jason Kensey loves to cook.

Even as he sits on a chair in the living room of his Costa Mesa

home, the aroma of roasting tomatoes wafts in the air.

“They’re home-grown tomatoes,” the 35-year-old said.

He leaves them cooking in the oven for about 10 hours to make his

own “sun-dried tomatoes.”

But barely 10 months ago, Kensey couldn’t gather the energy to get

off the couch and clean up after a meal.

Reeling under the side effects of chemotherapy, Kensey wondered

why he had to be one of the 1,200 men in the country each year to be

struck with breast cancer. Today, he feels strong enough --

physically and emotionally -- to sign up for the Susan Komen

Foundation Race for the Cure, scheduled to take place in Fashion

Island on Sept. 26.

Kensey was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer on Oct. 1, 2003

-- the first day of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

He was in the shower the first time he realized something was not

right.

“I was reaching over to pick up something, and I felt this lump

under my left nipple,” he said.

His father encouraged him to have it checked out right away.

Kensey had a mammogram.

“I mean, this is something women in their 40s and 50s go through,”

he said. “It was a strange experience.”

As he lay on the examining table, the doctor walked in and told

him point-blank: “You have cancer.”

“I was speechless,” Kensey said. “I asked him how sure he was. And

he gave me a thumbs-up and said ‘90%.’”

The diagnosis also came 10 days before Kensey launched his line of

caffeinated candy, a product he had worked on for more than three

years. He had started his own company called Vroom Foods Inc., a

venture he has returned to since his treatment was completed.

“I had put my life savings and all my time into this business,” he

said. “And suddenly, my whole life went on hold.”

Treatment took first priority, Kensey said. He did extensive

research. Kensey bought books, searched the Internet and consulted

several oncologists. What baffled him was the variety of opinions he

got about chemotherapy and radiation -- two important components of

his treatment.

“I saw seven different oncologists and got seven different

answers,” he said. “It drove me nuts, because this was my life and my

body. And I wanted a definite answer.”

Kensey underwent a mastectomy 12 days after being diagnosed. He

opted against radiation but underwent intensive chemotherapy. He had

his last treatment in January. His recovery was smooth.

“Within weeks, I was back at the gym working out four days a

week,” he said.

Kensey had always been a “health nut,” he says.

“I always ate very, very healthy,” he said. “I was raised that

way. I worked out and took care of myself -- ate vegetables and lean

meats. Never drank soda. There is no history of cancer in my family.

That’s what left me wondering how this happened to me.”

After his treatment, Kensey says he became more health conscious

than he was before his diagnosis. He makes sure he gets at least five

steamed vegetables a day. He cooks almost all of his food and avoids

eating out. He even eats raw garlic because it is said to purify the

system.

“I feel very fit and healthy,” he said. “A lot of people don’t

believe me when I say this, but I feel the healthiest I’ve felt in 10

years.”

His family has been supportive throughout his treatment and

recovery, Kensey said. His father, John Kensey, said Jason didn’t

complain through the ordeal.

“Although breast cancer is rare among men, Jason never pitied

himself or asked ‘Why me?’” he said. “He knew it was something he had

to deal with and dealt with it.”

He never saw his son angry, John Kensey said.

“It sure taught me that men shouldn’t take this disease for

granted,” he said. “We need to be more aware of it.”

Jason Kensey says he doesn’t take life for granted any more. He

still goes through feelings and emotions only survivors can relate

to.

“When I went through the treatment, I was happy to come out of it

alive,” he said.

But as he gets better and stronger, he misses the left nipple that

was removed during the mastectomy.

“I’ve never been the one to take off my shirt often,” he said.

“But it was there before and now it’s not. And it feels strange not

having it.”

For Jason Kensey, the Young Woman’s Breast Cancer Support Group at

Hoag Hospital was a blessing, he said.

“Initially, I was leery of it,” he said. “First of all, it was a

support group. Secondly, it was all women.”

But dragging himself to it was the biggest favor he did for

himself, Jason Kensey said.

“It just happens that the doctors are too busy to explain the

treatments and side effects to you,” he said. “But with the support

group, you have people who have been through it and explain to you

exactly what to expect. I don’t know what I would’ve done without all

that information.”

Jason Kensey still goes to the support groups on a monthly basis,

he said.

“Now, my role there has become different,” he said. “Now, I try to

help people who are going through what I went through.”

* DEEPA BHARATH is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at

deepa.bharath@latimes.com.