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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • Experience with the treatments

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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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Space

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 as they knew he was delighted with my PSA score of 0.34 after the second chemo session, down from the 13 at diagnosis. They then told me he will be even more delighted when he sees the score taken after the third session, 0.09!

What does a PSA level of 0.9 mean?

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network outlines the current PSA results: Less than 1 ng/mL is considered benign. Men with increased risk should repeat testing at 2 to 4-year intervals. 1 to 3 ng/mL is generally within the safe range in most men. Men with increased risk should repeat testing at 1 to 2-year intervals.

In addition my white blood cell count was 3,400. Previously it had been 900, which is too low and leaves my immune system below a safe level to fight infection. I had tried to keep myself away from people in the 7-14 days after the second chemo session, and got hrough unscathed. A cold, flu or Covid would have been dangerous and most likely to need a stay in hospital.

How many white blood cells (WBCs) someone has varies, but the normal range is usually between 4,000 and 11,000 per microliter of blood. A blood test that shows a WBC count of less than 4,000 per microliter (some labs say less than 4,500) could mean your body may not be able to fight infection the way it should.

So, I’m absolutely delighted. As a minimum I believe this means my prostate will no longer be able to matastasise to parts of my body, including my bones, where it has already spread cancer. I will not know how the drug, naturopathic, acupuncture and dietary regime has affected the bone cancer until a scan is performed at the end of chemo late February/early March 2024. What I do know is that I am not experiencing any bone pain so, fingers crossed, the regime is have the same impact on my bone cancer as it is on my prostate.

I am due to see the cancer care nurse, Bill, on Tuesday 12 December, just after I have my pre chemo bloods taken. I will take that opportunity to get his opinion of the latest scores and see what his interpretation is.

The really good news is that I should be OK for our two week cruise, leaving Sydney on 20 February, returning 4 March. We are so looking forward to the break after the past 6 months.

Next steps:

  1. Pre chemo bloods Tuesday 12 December
  2. Meeting with cancer care nurse Tuesday 12 December
  3. Fifth chemo session Wednesday 13 December
  4. Continue my weekly acupuncture sessions