My Challenge to defeat prostate and bone cancer

First Published 30 September 2023

Well, here I am again. Another blog about cancer but this time it’s me! It is more than 11.5 years since I added the final chapters to the “Wendy’s Army” blog, so this is very much Déjà Vu. I don’t know what I have done to upset those “upstairs” but they sure are making sure I get tested in this life. They managed to take Wendy, sadly, but they are not going to get me without the same degree of fight and determination shown by her.

As Wendy would be the first to acknowledge, these journeys cannot be undertaken alone. No cancer patient can undertake the trip without the support of loved ones.

As many will know, Kim and I being together at this stage in our lives is a story, which goes back over 30 years. Maybe we will tell that story at some point. So many have said we should!

I want to start this blog by acknowledging Kim, who is as up for the challenge of beating this cancer as I am. I simply could not do this without the caring nature of Kim, her inspiration to support me and lead the effort to get through this and we cannot wait for the day we will be told I’m in complete remission.

Kim is my rock! She is right here with me, and I couldn’t be a luckier man to be facing this with her. I love her with all my heart and, together, we are going to be successful in fighting and defeating this disease!

Before I start to tell the story and start the journey, let me explain why I have created this blog. There are three main reasons:

  1. Firstly, and most importantly, the majority of my family, my friends and my former colleagues are now aware of my diagnosis. Naturally, they all wish to be kept informed about my ongoing treatment and, rather than constantly tell people individually, it makes sense to keep everybody that wishes to be kept up to date informed on a consistent basis. When recounting detail, it is very easy to forget what you have said and to whom.
  2. I find it very cathartic. Telling the story gives me the chance to reflect on what is happening, rather than just repeating facts about the treatment and, just as importantly, some of those reading the blog will have people they know that have been on the same, or a similar journey. I think sharing experiences is so valuable and I have already found others that have been able to provide valuable insights and connections, which I will cover later.
  3. Thirdly, I’m not the only one undertaking this type of cancer journey. I have already met other men who have experienced prostate cancer and there will be many more in the future. My experience may just help other guys on their own journey. In Australia, over 24,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, with 1 in 5 men at risk of being diagnosed before they turn 85. And it is far from being confined to Australia. In the UK, Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year on average – that’s 144 men every day. Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer – that’s more than 12,000 men every year.

  • Session 2 of chemo – update

    I have been feeling really good! I had my bloods checked on 10 October, the day before I was due to have my second session of chemo the following day. My white blood cell count had recovered sufficiently from the normal dip following the first chemo session. My day 10 bloods following session one were

    Continue reading this update

  • My best week since I started my treatment regime!

    Since my last update: The meeting with Bill, the cancer nurse at Milton & Ulladulla Cancer Centre went well. I had had my bloods taken immediately before the meeting, so Bill did not have these available. However, he had seen the ones taken on day 10 (19 October) after the second chemo session on 11

    Continue reading this update

  • Chemo Session 4 update – news is getting better and better

    I had my pre chemo bloods taken on Tuesday 21 November. I had my fourth chemo session on Wednesday morning 22 November. The nursing team confirmed they had the blood results through and everything was looking good. They had obviously read Dr Gary Tinckner’s note from my review meeting with him on Friday 17 November

    Continue reading this update

  • 5th session of chemo & update on our home

    The last three weeks, since the 4th chemo session, have been quite quiet on the health front, thankfully. My stomach has been a little less tolerant of the chemo, as expected. I’ve taken around 6-8 imodium to help, whereas I had previously only had to take a couple. The cancer nurse, when I discussed it

    Continue reading this update

  • Final Chemo Session, I hope!

    On Wednesday 3 January I had my sixth, and optimistically my last, chemo session. My bloods, taken the day before, were all normal and the session proceeded exactly as previous ones, no issues. That night, however, I could not sleep at all. The phrase often used by the cancer team is “wired”. I could not

    Continue reading this update

  • The best possible news I could have wished for!

    Earlier today I had my scheduled appointments with Gary Tincknell, Medical Oncologist, and Stephen Chin Radiology Oncologist. I met Gary first and he had the blood results taken last Friday, 9 February which, sadly coincided with the 12th anniversary of Wendy’s passing. I could tell from his smile that the news was good! When measured

    Continue reading this update

  • Continued good news and health

    It has now been just over 4 months since my last chemo session. It was suggested to me that it can take from six to 12 months for the chemicals to fully leave my system. From my perspective I feel this will be nearer the shorter end of that timeframe. I have been feeling really

    Continue reading this update

  • The good news continues!

    I had a telephone meeting with my medical oncologist, Gary Tinknell, on Tuesday last week. He remains very pleased with my progress. He had my blood results from late the previous week. They showed that my PSA remains at 0.01 and told me there are three levels within that score and I had dropped two,

    Continue reading this update

  • An early Xmas present!

    Having had my bloods taken last Friday, Kim and I visited my oncologist, Dr Gary Tinknell, this morning. My PSA score remains at 0.01, the lowest it can possibly be. He and we were delighted with the continued good news. It is not just the medication that is sustaining this momentum, but the holistic approach

    Continue reading this update

  • Quick update

    I have had a call with Gary Tincknell, my oncologist, following my latest set of blood tests. He said “cancer in your prostate is “undetectable”, which means the PSA score remains at 0.01 for the fourth consecutive quarter. There is no need to amend my medications, just keep doing what I have been. He will

    Continue reading this update

Space

I have been feeling really good!

I had my bloods checked on 10 October, the day before I was due to have my second session of chemo the following day. My white blood cell count had recovered sufficiently from the normal dip following the first chemo session. My day 10 bloods following session one were within the acceptable tolerances and towards the end of the cycle (days 14-21) I felt really good and close to normal health. I still felt tired occasionally so would just give in and have a short nap.

I had the second session on 11 October and the intravenous process was as uneventful and the first session had been. I had no reaction during the infusion and felt good for the remainder of the day. A couple of days later I had some nausea, but it wasn’t too onerous, and I took a tablet, which very quickly cleared it. Since then, I have been normal again.

Normal is:

  1. Feeling about 85% in terms of activity and energy
  2. Visiting the bathroom 3 or 4 times during the night
  3. Taking a lot of tablets and potions either provided by the medical team or those supplements recommended by the naturopath.

I have also changed my diet a little. According to the nutritionist, I had taken too many carbohydrates out of my diet, and this accounted for the drop in my weight and inability to eat other than small portions. My weight has stabilised around 80kg, which I and the medics are happy with.

I have also had two sessions with the acupuncturist, which I found really helped. I can’t explain why, but I feel very relaxed and will continue with the sessions once my acupuncturist returns from a training programme he is attending now.

I had my day 10 bloods taken last Thursday. The routine is that they are reviewed by the cancer team, and you only get notified if there is some concern. So, I was a little tense this morning when Renee, from the Milton & Ulladulla Cancer Care unit called me. My white blood cells have dropped. It is not a major concern, but I am currently VERY susceptible to infection. Having a low white blood cell count leaves me with low immunity. As a result, I’m going to lie low for a few days whilst things recover. Wearing a mask if I do venture out will be essential, as will regular washing of hands and general care of myself. I was warned, as I have been on several occasions, to keep a close eye on my temperature. Any increase needs immediate investigation, and I would have to head to the A&E Department at Milton Hospital for support, whatever the time of day! I have taken the warning on board!!

A couple of non-medical issues:

  1. There has been no activity on selling the home. The agent popped round on Saturday with a “statistics” folder to share. There have been lots of interest on the various websites, but yet, no viewings. She is not worried, and neither are Kim and I. There are a couple of people that are very interested, have pre finance approval but live more than a few hours away. We just need to be patient whilst they decide to view. That all said, we are happy to wait, the horses have gone and the workload, especially for Kim, has dropped significantly. She is now finding time to read more – something she loves to do. She has popped out today for a bit of pampering, something she wasn’t able to do when the horses were here. In addition, I am very happy with my treatment regime and the team supporting me. I’m not anxious to change them, quite the reverse.
  2. As we no longer have the horses, we no longer need our Ute to collect horse feed and supplies. I have sold it to Talya, Kim’s friend who has been working with Kim and the horses. She has also stayed over when we have been away to look after, not only the horses, but the dogs. They both love Talya and she adores them. The Ute will be great for her to get her horse supplies more easily than at present. A win-win all round.

Today is day 13 of 21 following session 2 of chemo. My next blood tests will be on Tuesday 31 October, when I will also have an update with the Bill, the cancer care nurse at the cancer centre. All being well, I will have my third chemo session on 1 November. I’m due my next acupuncture session on 2 November.

In summary, I’m very pleased with the way I feel. The warnings about possible side effects were quite daunting but have been next to nothing. I remain very positive and determined.

Kim has been just amazing. We are in this together, but it would be so much more of a challenge for me without her support, keeping me on track with medications and supplements. I am such a lucky boy to be with such a strong, wonderful person, who means everything to me!

Next Steps:

  1. Pre chemo bloods 31 October & check-in with cancer care nurse
  2. 3rd Session of chemo if bloods are all ok.
  3. 3rd session of acupuncture – 2 November