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.

  • So, what led me to discover I had cancer?

    It’s a long story! It started on Friday 11th March 2022! Around that time, Australia had experienced huge rainfall volumes. I think in Bawley Point, where we live, there was circa 250ml in a few months. This was following the bush fires in early 2020. They say this is a country of extremes and that

    Continue reading this update

  • Telling Kim the news!

    Let’s remember that Kim and I have only been together for 2 years. We have been so happy in our retirement in our new home and surroundings with our animals and those all around us. The first day we moved in a King Parrot came to see us. We started to feed it sunflower seeds

    Continue reading this update

  • Medical Reviews

    Ahead of the initial meeting I was asked to attend the radiology unit the very next day for a full body CT scan, which would then be available to Dr Nicholson. This was undertaken on Friday 4 August. On Monday 7 August I had a second meeting with Dr Burt, who had the CT scan

    Continue reading this update

  • Why is all this detail so important?

    Well, if I hadn’t hit that pothole, and if I hadn’t buckled the wheel, I would not have taken it for repair and a second new tyre. I would not, thereafter, be faced with trying to get the wheel back on the car and., therefore, would not have fractured my pubic ramus. Without the fracture

    Continue reading this update

  • The treatment journey begins!

    I had my first consultation with Dr Kasherman on 22 August. It was an almost three-hour journey to Dr Kasherman’s consultation rooms in Woollongong. Dr Nicholson had wanted me to see one of her colleagues, Dr Gary Tincknell, with whom she worked very closely, but he was away on holiday for 4 weeks, waiting any

    Continue reading this update

  • Non-medical considerations

    As you would expect, Kim and I had many conversations about the diagnosis. We had moved into our beautiful home just under two years ago, after I returned to Australia. I had returned to the UK to sell my home, gain a visa, and return asap to Australia. But I left on the last day

    Continue reading this update

  • Back to medical matters

    Following my meeting with Dr Helen Nicholson, the prostate oncologist, she arranged for me to see Dr Steven Chin, a radiology oncologist, with whom she also works close, and with Dr Tincknell. They are part of the same multidisciplinary team that meets weekly to review their cases. We met on Wednesday 30 August. At the

    Continue reading this update

  • Experience with the treatments

    As we sit here today, 30 September, this is where I have reached with my treatments:

    Continue reading this update

  • Next Steps

    I had my Day 10 bloods taken on 29 Sept. I’m seeing the cancer nurse at the clinic where I have my chemo administered on 3 October. He will have the 10-day blood tests. I have just arranged to see an acupuncturist on 4 October. Acupuncture is very good for trying to rebalance the body

    Continue reading this update

  • That was a good week, but sad!

    A week ago today, Saturday 30 September, our dream started to unfold. We had agreed that rehoming Kim’s horses was the right thing to do, as was moving home. We got a call from the lady that had agreed to take our beautiful 33 year-old Palomino pony, Kirra. I think it was the first time

    Continue reading this update

Space

Since my last update:

  1. I saw the cancer nurse on 31 October.
  2. I had my third session of chemo on 1 November.
  3. I have had 3 acupuncture sessions.
  4. I saw my medical oncologist on Friday 17 November.

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 October. He said my PSA score had reduced, which indicated the chemo and drugs were having the desired effect. In addition, the supplements, recommended by the naturopath, and the acupuncture appeared to be supportive of the medical treatments. Good news!

The third session of chemo went the same as sessions 1 & 2. No issues experienced. The infusion lasted about 2.5 hours I felt good and only had a little nausea about a week later with some diarrhea from days 7-14, as expected. Tablets soon sorted those couple of issues and I had no other side effects. My energy levels are near to normal from day 14 and I have been feeling good.

I have found the acupuncture so helpful. I can’t really explain why as I’m not fully au fait with the methodology. But I do feel so relaxed, and I’m told the balance of my body is considerably helped by the process. As several of the medical team have recommended it to me, I’m sure it is being of overall benefit, so I plan to continue the sessions.

Last week was, by far, the best I’ve had. I saw Dr Gary Tincknell last Friday, 17 November, for a review. He is a nice guy, easy to talk to, enthusiastic about his work, and has a positive nature. He asked me how I had been. I relayed what I said above, a little nausea and diarrhea. Apart from that, no side effects at all. Then he told me my PSA score which, at this stage, halfway through the chemo treatment, is really good. Bear in mind I had started with a PSA score of 13, which itself is quite low. It has dropped to 0.34, yes, 0.34. For my age that is a NORMAL PSA Score! The chemo and hormone drugs had clearly done their work, alongside the supplements and dietary changes I have made.

To say I was delighted was an understatement, I could not have been happier. Of course, there can be no celebrations, there are still three more chemo sessions to come. Gary speculated that after those three sessions I may not require any more. His expectation is that I will then continue with the hormone tablets for the rest of my life. They effectively attach themselves to cancer cells and prevent them from feeding, which means they cannot survive. As long as that remains the case, and subject to three monthly checks, I should be good for many years to come.

One of the drugs I am taking, darolutamide, has just been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia.

About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85 and from 1 December, men with advanced prostate cancer will have affordable access to a further treatment option through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Nubeqa (darolutamide) will be expanded on the PBS to treat patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).

mHSPC is an advanced stage of prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, bone cancer in my case, and Nubeqa works by blocking the activity of androgens, stopping the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Without subsidy, around 5,000 Australian men might pay more than $40,000 per year for Nubeqa. I was fortunate to be able to join a trial for this drug and it has not cost me a cent. I have been so fortunate!

This PBS listing will mean that from 1 December 2023 eligible patients will pay a maximum of $30 per script.

So, a very good few weeks, in the main.

Next steps:

  1. I have my pre chemo bloods taken on Tuesday 21 November
  2. Bloods being OK, I will have 4th session of chemo on Wednesday 22 November
  3. I have another acupuncture session on Friday 24 November

I said above a “good few weeks in the main”.

The bad news is that we had to lose our beautiful horse, Kirra. You will recall Jack and Indie had been moved to one of Kim’s friends near Mittagong. They are both happy in their new life, supporting the lives of those less fortunate through equine therapy. Kirra went to join three ponies at our close neighbours property. Kirra was 33, which is a great age for a pony. However, the ponies she was with were much younger and she was struggling. She looked physically weak and unsteady on her feet. After lengthy discussions with her new keeper and the vet, it was decided that the kindest thing to do was to euthanise her. We left it quite a few weeks before deciding the time had come. On Friday 3 November we arranged for our good friend, Gary Wallington, to dig a large hole on our property. Once finished Kim went with her friend Talya to collect Kirra. The poor thing was excited as she walked past our driveway and skipped up towards her old stable. We think she was looking for Jack and Indie, who sadly were not around.

The vet arrived and they looked after Kirra so well and she had a very peaceful end. We all had a good cry, it was so emotional. Kim held her in her arms until the end came. We left it to Gary to complete the grave.

I am going to make a sign to commemorate her beautiful life, not only for us but for all those she has given so much pleasure to during her life.

Kirra, such a beautiful soul, so kind and gentle and a little girls dream.

I want to acknowledge the help I have received from Kim. She truly is my rock. She pesters me to take my medicines and supplements as, I can assure you, I’m not an easy patient. But we laugh about it and she just gets on with it, with that wonderful smile on her face. I have no idea what I would do without her in my life – I love her with all my heart!

Finally, a photo before and after treatment. Firstly, in Bali 23 July, and after on 8 November on our last date night. I’m told my hair will grow back but not necessarliy the same. I’m hoping for a thick head of black straight hair – what do you think!