Everybody loves a rare “unicorn” story. But as a healthy, fit male, Mike never thought he’d find his in a pink breast cancer center.
Mike and his wife joined Medi-Share almost four years ago. Their previous healthcare was a benefit through Mike’s wife’s job. When her department was eliminated in post-Covid cuts, the two of them were forced to look into other options. A relative introduced them to Medi-Share, and the couple decided to become members shortly after.
In May of 2025, Mike scratched an itch on his chest while working at his desk and discovered a hard lump near his nipple. He decided to monitor it for a week, thinking it could possibly be a clogged gland. Plus, he had a trip planned to go get his dream car.
“I made the most prudent decision I could,” he jokes, “and I decided to pick up the Corvette first.”
Breast cancer is extremely rare for men. According to the American Cancer Society, less than 1% of breast cancer diagnoses occur in males. But for Mike, rare turned to real very quickly.
At the imaging center, the radiologist confirmed a tumor that was well-defined and likely stage one cancer. However, there was a possibility that the tumor was benign, so Mike also had to get a biopsy done at his local breast cancer center. In an environment that mostly takes care of female patients, he definitely stood out.
“I’ve never gotten so much attention in my life,” Mike says. “I was like a unicorn.”
The biopsy confirmed that Mike had breast cancer, and he was scheduled for surgery. Within a few weeks, he went in for what medical professionals called a “simple mastectomy” (lumpectomies aren’t usually an option for men) and came home the same day, a process he describes as painless.
As a Medi-Share member, Mike didn’t worry about the financial aspect of the process. He called for pre-notification and made sure that everything was verified prior to surgery. Post-surgery, Mike was connected with Sloan, a Medi-Share nurse, who followed up with him every week or two to check in on recovery progress and medications and to offer any support he needed.
Later, it turned out that Mike’s medical facility was out of network, which caused some disruptions in billing. When Mike pointed out that the facility was listed as in-network on the website, Medi-Share covered the difference of the out-of-network costs charged by the facility.
Mike says, “Medi-Share was extremely upstanding through the whole process. It covered me in my time of need. It was a positive experience. It gave me a lot of confidence in Medi-Share.”
Today, Mike is cancer-free, praise the Lord. But the experience remains a bit surprising. “I never thought I’d have a relationship with an oncologist, being healthy,” he says, but now he’s on a regular check-up schedule to make sure the cancer doesn’t return.
Mike’s faith in God also helped his perspective, making him calmer and more proactive. He recalls thinking, “I’ve got this [diagnosis]. I’ve got to deal with it. I can’t control what I contracted. I didn’t cause it. But I can control my actions relative to it. I’m not mad about getting the cancer, but I would be mad at myself if I didn’t take care of it.”
Today, Mike is grateful for his medical team as well as his Medi-Share community. Through a rare cancer, he got a rare glimpse of people coming together to care for him well. Of course, as a car guy he adds, tongue in cheek, “And getting my Corvette in the garage, that was my support group right there.”