A Very Different LifeWhen you hear the word cancer it’s devastating, but when they follow it up with the word incurable, it’s indescribable. Then your life is turned upside down and absolutely shaken...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
We Can Do Better, We Must Do BetterI had the privilege of being asked to speak, representing patients, as part of a symposium at the European Association of Urology Conference 2024 in Paris. I shared that I...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Talking About It: to Share or Not Share My Prostate Cancer Diagnosis?When I was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in May 2017, my treatment pathway was going to be hormone therapy and Docetaxel chemotherapy. It didn’t worry me at all, because...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Bone HealthThere are so many side effects that you are blissfully unaware of when you are diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. When you’ve just been told that you have incurable...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
HopeIt’s early in the year as I sit and write this, and I’ve already been approached for help and advice from the friends and loved ones of two men recently...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Defiance in the Face of CancerI felt like a fraud! I was sitting in the cancer treatment center having my 12 weekly infusions of Zometa, that helps stop my bones disintegrating after seven years of...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Still A Running ManWhen I was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in May 2017, the first question I asked my oncologist wasn’t, “How long have I got to live?” It was, “Will I...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
More Harm Than GoodI’m heartily sick of arguing for PSA testing/screening with healthcare professionals who are rabid anti-PSA testers. They constantly quote guidance made in 2012 from the United States Preventive Services Task...Reactions0reactionsComments34 comments
Can Do, Can't DoHas the perception of living with cancer treatments changed, and has it changed for the better? Historically both healthcare professionals and the families of people diagnosed with cancer may have...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Mental Resilience and Prostate CancerI was recently asked if I’d do an interview for regional television covering the North West of England. They were doing a series of interviews about mental health with a...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Faith and Prostate CancerIt’s still so vivid in my memory: 9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 5th, 2017. I was driving to a dental appointment and my mobile phone rang (hands free!). When I...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Unexpected EmotionsWhen I sat down to think about this article, my first thought was that I had absolutely no idea what the expected emotions of a cancer diagnosis would be when...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Mourning and Remembering Life Before CancerA cancer diagnosis is life-changing. It’s bad enough when it’s a curable cancer, but so much worse when it’s incurable and the reality of a premature death hits you. Then...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Things I've LearnedReading an article written by a trainee cancer doctor from the U.S. about how important it is for healthcare professionals to learn from their patients inspired me to think about...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Stereotypes and How We Talk About CancerA friend of mine, also sadly a member of the stage 4 prostate cancer club and only at the age of 49, recently speculated in a conversation we had. It...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Another Year in the Life of a Patient with a VoiceI'd like to look back and reflect on another year of living with stage 4 prostate cancer. It would be fair to say that it’s been lived to the full...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Big MouthI need to learn to keep my mouth shut! In December 2021 I was asked to do an interview for regional TV here in the UK to talk about the...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
It's (Not Just) an Age ThingPeople look at me and see someone who looks reasonably fit and well and still manages to run every day. But I don’t think that they truly understand the impact...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
My Salvation: How I Cope with Stage 4 Prostate CancerIn general, I’ve had a good and happy life, worked hard, and been well-rewarded. It’s not always been a bed of roses though, and there have been times where life...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Our Special PersonI don’t think that anyone who hasn’t had cancer would truly understand the impact that a cancer diagnosis has on a person. And I’m absolutely convinced that they wouldn’t truly...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments