Supporting Prostate Cancer: Chapter 3

Welcome to the third chapter.. 
Did you read the previous chapters?
They will put this into context for you … and you can find them here. 

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

I am sure that, if you’re over 40, you have definitely heard of Prostate Cancer. That’s prostate … not prostrate … that’s more lying down … although prostate cancer can make you feel like lying down too.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the jokes about the humiliation of the intimate examinations that are part of the prostate cancer assessment process (buy me a beer and I’ll tell you my favourite). None of us find pleasure in allowing a stranger to become physically involved with our private areas!
The good news is that this is no longer a necessity when it comes to checking if you have PC. (PC saves me writing out Prostate Cancer everytime, and I guess you have got that now …)

One in eight men are diagnosed with PC and it’s now approaching breast cancer as the most prevalent cancer in the UK.
Unlike breast cancer though, there is currently no screening programme for PC, so men, we MUST talk.

Symptoms are often not common when it comes to discovering if you have PC. Getting up for a wee in the night is a fact amongst my peer group, even if we have not been drinking beers; but that means nothing … or it could. 

Confused?

The only way to really start to know if you have it or not is to get a combined blood test and MRI scan.
The blood test is testing for prostate specific antigens (PSA for short) which are raised when PC is present. But PSA may also be raised for other reasons even when PC is not present.

Still confused?

I was confused.  

I had some symptoms, many don’t.
I had a raised PSA score, but not significantly.
I had someone’s digit somewhere very personal. That didn’t help in any sense.
I had an MRI scan. It didn’t look good. They thought. That was an interesting call whilst I was sat on our stairs.
I had to have a biopsy next. That was horrible, but not as bad as getting the results.

“Do you mind if this trainee doctor joins us for the meeting?”
Why would a trainee want to ‘sit in’ whilst I am told it was all nothing and I should go home?

Anyway, I will spare you any more details … message me if you want to know more … but what’s important to learn from all this is … TALK!

Talk to each other.
Share what’s going on.
Share your concerns.
Share how you feel.
Tell your 40+ year old mates to get tested.

Prostate Cancer UK are helping to make massive inroads into how to diagnose PC.
Review their materials as these are really helpful in assessing your own risk and giving you the information you need. Here's the link.

Talk to your GP.

Pay for an MRI scan if you have to … it will cost less than that holiday to Ibiza.

Having been through the trials and tribulations of having PC, I want to help others ensure, that they too, can recover and live to share more moments and create more stories.

So, check your own risk.
Talk to your GP and get yourself tested.
Talk to your male friends.
Share this story.

It’s good to talk. 

At FROM YOU TO ME we are all about helping you connect through shared moments, reflection and lasting memories.
We want to help people talk and share more, to create more stories for years to come.
So, for every male version of our Journals of a Lifetime sold this Father’s Day we will make a donation of 10% of the sale to Prostate Cancer UK.
We are proud to support their work. 
We are also proud that our range of journals can help you feel closer to the men in your life. 

You can see more about this Father’s Day Campaign here.

So get talking,

If it feels right for you … get yourself tested.
If it feels right for you … help us to donate more to the team at Prostate Cancer UK to support their work to help every man.

It’s good to talk … so message me if I can help you. 

Oh … and I promised you in Chapter 2 that I would share that joke that Richard told us … so do send me an email and I will send it right back to you.

(EMAIL: [email protected])

Here's the link to the Instagram video about this Chapter if you arrived here and missed it.

And finally here is the link to the Prostate Cancer UK website where you can find information and resources all carefully designed to help.

Thank you for reading

Neil Coxon
Founder of FROM YOU TO ME

Go back to Chapter 1 or Chapter 2. 

     

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