A \u201cSurvivor\u201d fan favorite is facing his most difficult challenge yet.<\/p>\n
Ken McNickle, a finalist in Season 33 of the hit reality show, shared his cancer diagnosis this week in an Instagram post<\/a> and, in a follow-up video, revealed the three signs he ignored.<\/p>\n \u201cI deliberated for a while about whether to share or not, but I ultimately decided to because I\u2019m hoping this chapter in my story can help others,\u201d McNickle captioned the original post, which featured a carousel of images of him at a doctor\u2019s appointment, looking contemplative with medical patches attached to his chest.<\/p>\n Ken McNickle, a finalist in Season 33 of the hit reality show, shared his diagnosis this week in an Instagram post. Instagram\/thekencole<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve made some mistakes in the process and should have taken care of myself better and sooner,\u201d McNickle admitted, urging others to be proactive about treatment. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a health concern, don\u2019t sit on it,\u201d he said. \u201cGet yourself checked. There\u2019s no valid reason not to. Not one.\u201d<\/p>\n In a follow-up video<\/a>, McNickle outlined the three symptoms and warning signs he ignored, introducing the clip with a \u201ctrigger warning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t like gross medical details, get out now,\u201d he cautioned.<\/p>\n \u201cI waited almost a year until my skin was tearing open to get this checked,\u201d he said, pointing toward his heart. \u201cHad I gone in sooner, it\u00a0would have been a simple procedure \u2014 not a three-inch hole in my chest.\u201d<\/p>\n McNickle added that despite seeing blood in his stool every morning, he delayed seeking treatment for nearly three months, at which point it was \u201cconfirmed\u201d that his \u201cinsides were tearing open.\u201d<\/p>\n While the kind of cancer McNickle is battling remains unclear, blood in the stool is a telltale sign of colorectal cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n An ER doc previously called the symptom the \u201cone condition where you should go to the emergency room today.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n McNickle also admitted he postponed seeking medical attention until a groin growth had reached alarming proportions. Instagram\/thekencole<\/p>\n McNickle, a former model and a father of one, also admitted he postponed seeking medical attention until a groin growth had reached alarming proportions.<\/p>\n \u201cI waited until that lump on my testes had grown to the size of the other two before getting it checked,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Again, while McNickle has yet to disclose the specific cancer diagnosis, the lump could indicate testicular cancer<\/a>, which has the highest prevalence in men between 20 and 40.<\/p>\n Reflecting on his choices, McNickle lamented, \u201cI have been so f\u2013king stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n He acknowledged how a childhood steeped in toxic masculinity and the lifelong pressure to perform it contributed to his adult health crisis. <\/p>\n \u201cI heard the words, \u2018Stop crying. Don\u2019t be a baby. Don\u2019t be a bitch. Don\u2019t be a p\u2014y. Just be a man,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd\u00a0yeah, I am thinking that had something to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n McNickle recognized that his experience is not an exception, calling out the \u201cepidemic\u201d of men\u2019s health. <\/p>\n McNickle\u2019s season of Survivor aired in 2016 and was themed \u201cMillennials vs. Gen X.\u201d CBS via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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,\u201d he captioned the video. <\/p>\n Fans were quick to flood the comments section with words of support and appreciation.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for sharing all this. It\u2019s so incredibly important to talk about and normalize men struggling and not getting the help they need,\u201d said one. <\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t the only man who put off the doctor for far too long. Hopefully, your story can help others to understand this,\u201d said a second. <\/p>\n \u201cYour honesty and vulnerability are really brave. That\u2019s being a true man. Sending hugs and hope for a healing journey,\u201d added a third. <\/p>\n McNickle\u2019s season of Survivor aired in 2016 and was themed \u201cMillennials vs. Gen X.\u201d He made it all the way to the final three before losing to Adam Klein in an anonymous vote.<\/p>\n McNickle\u2019s designation as a millennial cancer patient is in keeping with a disturbing trend. Research suggests <\/a>millennial Americans are at a higher risk of developing 17 cancers compared to older generations.<\/p>\n Indeed, millennials are twice as likely to get colorectal cancer<\/a> compared to their boomer counterparts.<\/p>\n