The journey of one in eight men
I’m Pete and I have a prostate problem. I’d like to say I HAD a prosate problem but it’s still a work in progress.
Last week I had a procedure known as a TURP, which put simply is a rebore of the uretha. My surgery went well and my radiotherapy awaits. Things are looking positive. I’m feeling positive. And I want to share my experience in the hope that other men and women reading this might learn a little, be encouraged a lot and share with me in speaking out about this common, slow burning, ‘silent’ cancer that can lie in your body for a long while before you notice. I first noticed because I couldn’t pee properly, which I guess many men put down to age…. I’m a fit 64-year-old – a recent body ‘MOT test’ at Nuffield Health put me as more healthy than most 20-somethings. Nice to know. But the reality I soon discovered was, like many 60-something men I had an enlarged prostate. Not only that, mine wasn’t benign – as many are. Mine was cancerous (for the medically minded among you, my Gleason score of 3 + 4.) In this blog I will describe the episodes that my prostate journey has taken: it may not be beautifully written and isn’t in chronological order. But here we go…
The Royal Marsden awaits
I stayed with my daughter in London so I could make an early start and get to the Royal Marsden Hospital, Chelsea for 7.30 am. I was pleased to be second on the list and delighted to be moved up to number one. Oh, but hang on a minute, the first of the week?! Isn’t that a bit risky – first one back after the weekend…
Not risky at all – this is the Royal Marsden and Mr Declan Cahill is my consultant . A few visits from the medical staff to confirm my details and then it was over to the anaesthetist. Very up to date. No need to count to ten…..B R E X i t …you get the idea….zzzz
Moves like Jagger
I regained consciousness in the recovery room at around 10.45 and felt quite normal. Except that my most private part was tethered via a three-way catheter to drips and pee bag (technically a urostomy bag). A brief visit from Mr Cahill who promised that I could now pee over a wall, although it’s been decades since I last tried.
I was then moved onto Wilson Ward and decided to restore a degree of normality by listening to the Ken Bruce programme on Radio 2 (and of course Pop Master) via the BBC Sounds catch-up. Bluetooth headphones on I started to listen. Two minutes into the show, a nurse kindly pointed out that I was, in fact, broadcasting to the ward as Bluetooth had failed to connect! The song playing was Moves like Jagger; fat chance of that !
Visitors
Just after a really good lunch (yes the Royal Marsden’s food is fantastic) I had my first visitor. My lovely significant other, Lynda, laden with a skinny flat white and other treats from Pret. She’s a very talented artist and this will become very relevant in blogs to come. Lynda has been incredibly supportive since my diagnosis. I felt myself outwardly and inwardly smiling. We spent three wonderful hours together, just being.
Afterwards I started to read but in no time at all my kids, Catherine and Chris, arrived also with some treats They both work in the City and it was so good to see them; the joy and pride they bring lifted my spirits further. David, Catherine’s boyfriend, was a wonderful surprise visitor later. He works incredibly long hours and still found time to see me.
A long night’s day into morning
It turned out to be a long night with barely any sleep. The kind of night when you will dawn to come. The catheter made it difficult to move around and get comfortable, the normal hospital noise and what felt like an adrenaline boost were all factors. Before breakfast the doc did her rounds. She was very happy with the colour of my pee , it was the shade of a good rosé from Provence. Although I couldn’t vouch for the nose or palate, it was definitely not corked. I felt good despite my lack of sleep and thought that there was a chance that I could be discharged that day.
My morning was filled with reading and getting to know other patients That was very humbling; a man in his thirties with an inoperable tumour who needed his blood balanced, older patients with various cancers but all with hope and all being cared for and loved in the most extraordinary way.
Just before lunch and after some mild encouragement from me, the catheter was removed. As you can imagine this was not without pain, but it was worth it. Now I had to pee for myself and if I could pee into the urine bottle and empty my bladder twice, I would be discharged (in more ways than one!). I did and I was.
A big thank you to all the staff who looked after me so well on Wilson Ward.
Going home
I arranged to meet Catherine at Canon Street Station and started my journey via the Pret opposite South Kensington Tube. The lovely girl who served me saw my hospital ID bracelet and said my flat white was on the house. Little acts like that mean so much.
Catherine and I travelled back to her house and after dinner David, his brother and I all watched the Man City, Spurs Champions League match. Everything felt nice and normal.
I slept well that night even though it was punctuated with a few visits to the loo. I didn’t mind being disturbed by these little victories: Pete peeing was a very good sign!
Thanks for reading my first blog: do check back soon for my next weeks instalment which will cover the early days after surgery and quickly getting back to normality
Pete's Prostate Problem 