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.

  • Still keeping my cancers at arms length!!

    Kim & I visited Gary Tincknell, my oncologist, this morning for the quarterly ckeckin. I had my bloods taken last Friday. The 90 minute journey in torrential rain and high winds, followed by a 60 min delay, as Gary was runnng very late with his appointments, was all so worthwhile. Gary revealed that my PSA

    Continue reading this update

  • Had another oncology review today!

    At the risk of boring you all, I spoke to my oncologist earlier and he and I were delighted with the latest blood tests, which continue to show my PSA at 0.01. As you will know by now, this means the prostate cancer remains undetectable. There couldn’t be better news. I have devcided to change

    Continue reading this update

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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 well this past month, in particular, as my energy levels have returned to near normal, for my age, at least! My finger nails were affected by the chemo, they died back, but all remained in place. they have now fully recovered and my hair is growing strongly again, albeit it seems thinner than before. It could continue to strengthen given more time.

I had an appointment with Gary Tincknell, my medical oncologist, this morning. He had the latest blood results from last Thursday’s “donation”. My PSA remains at 0.01, which is the lowest score possible. I asked if this meant my cancer was no more. He confirmed it was not the case. It is, however, sound asleep and we should hope it remains so. As long as it remains dormant, so too will my bone cancer. All cancer cells, wherever they may be, are dormant. The medication I am taking, darolutamide (two tablets in the morning and 2 in the evening) plus a 6 monthly Lucrin injection, are certainly doing the job they were designed for, in my case.

Accordingly, there is nothing that needs changing. He wants further blood tests and a review meeting in three months.

We just need to make sure there is no increase in the PSA and if there is, we can react to it quickly, which is so important.

So, I will carry on with my acupuncture, fortnightly, not weekly. I will continue with my naturopathic supplements and increase my exercise, which Gary felt was important. Kim and I are going to do more walking.

On the home front, Kim has a new horse, Jake. He is a standard bred, originally from NZ. He is 9 and was a trotter – not Del & Rodney! You should see him run. We are at the planning application stage to add a new lounge to our home. We could do with an extra space as things are a little cramped when we have visitors – another project to keep us occupied!

That’s it for the time being. Kim and I are delighted to have put the cancer to sleep and we fully intend keeping it that way as long as we possibly can.