The statistics showing the numbers of women diagnosed with breast cancer and the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year is approximately 40,000. When I first heard these statistics the first thing that came to mind was: "ok, why me? Out of the total population of the UK which is around 60 million, I asked myself: how come I'm one of that 40,000, why me?" I have to admit that coming to terms with the diagnosis of cancer of the prostate has in itself been a stuggle. During the first few weeks after getting the news I also - somewhere in the centre of my being - asked: "Is this happening? So, what do I do? How to adapt? Will I survive?"
For the first period of a month or so, while getting routine hospital tests for the prostate, the blood tests of my PSI (Prostate blood count) looked as if they were not really too bad and were falling. I felt that I was okay and never even considered that I might have cancer. Actualy, I did consider it for a few seconds because I remember mentioning it to a friend that there could be a possibility of bad news coming. But beyond this I never gave any thought to it.
And then, when attending the hospital to get the results of a biopsy, the cancer specialist said to me: "we analysed the biopsy results and have some not so good news for you!'. Among my first thoughts at this stage were that there must be a lot of men who also get prostate cancer and not only myself. I did not previously have any knowledge about prostate cancer and as stated earlier, I didn't even know until that stage what a prostate was! The point here is that it seems sad or even shameful that this disease is not made more known to men who are in their middle or later years. But of course, in answer to my own question, sometimes when there are huge advertising campaigns, as history has shown, the outcome is the same and people do not pay attention to statistics, as for example many people have continued to smoke despite the huge campaigns warning us of the dangers. But, nevertheless it would be good if a llittle more was made of it and there were for example some more screening opportunities for men.
Again, among my first thoughts were that if I'm spared then I want to help people who have found themselves diagnosed with cancer, not only prostate cancer but all of the cancers that human beings are currently facing and living with on a daily basis.
