Where the hell I am going with this...

🧐 I have come to a little crossroads, I hear it is what makes life fun!

Spring has sprung!

A new energy to life has arrived here in the UK, with the longer days, greenery in the hedgerows and the birds chirping at 05:36 in the morning (yes, they are my new alarm clock). Still, with all of this merriment emerging around us and Mother Nature continuing to do what she does best, cancer is still sitting there in the back of my mind. Like an impending summer storm ready to soggy up my cucumber sarnies.

I am in the club (c18 million+ cases worldwide every year) with so many others that have had a cell or two go rogue and have cancer take up residency in their body. They have been through that conversation with their medical team on what the treatment plan will be, the likelihood of their ‘longevity’ and having to look into the eyes of their loved ones to tell them that they have cancer. I have been there, I have got the t-shirt, I get it.

So why do I take to Substack to write about it?

I started writing about my journey of getting diagnosed with prostate cancer as an outlet for me, to share with others that it may not be an instant death sentence (be aware people, there are some dark forums out there!) and that actually by talking about your bits & bobs it does not make you any less of a man. In fact, I strongly believe, there is total strength, honour and respect for sharing if it helps just one other person to catch it early and not to have to go through such a shit show!

I have met some amazing people in a short space of time of me ‘going prostate cancer public’ on Substack and they have given to me so much strength, laughter and sense of community that I had not experienced previously…

Guy Gratton

, an academic, a writer, a pilot, a husband and overall an amazing character of a man that is in the early part of his prostate cancer journey.

Anthony Feig

, (Feig as in egg/leg/peg) a man that shares his prostate experiences through the art of humour (‘humor’ if you are on the other side of the pond and want to spell it wrong) and projects a spirit of living life fully even after a prostatectomy!

Victoria

, a champion from a caregiving perspective. Someone that has firsthand experience with a caring role and is huge advocate for getting caregiving into the mainstream conversation. At some stage in our life, we will all need this support!

Howard Wolinsky

, a medical journalist that has curated a newsletter that contains his views on AS (active surveillance). A long server, 2020, in the prostate cancer community and one that provides an amazing catalogue for his subscribers.

Daniel Flora, MD, PharmD

, an Oncologist by day and on a mission to find a better way for cancer patients by night (he really should be wearing a cape). Daniel shares a more holistic view to living with and prevention of cancer, he actively explores and shares it being about the whole individual (diet/exercise etc).

Kristina Adams Waldorf, MD

, the author of ‘After He Said Cancer’, a series of true stories that explain the cancer journey that Kristina experienced as a caregiver after her husband was diagnosed with breast cancer.

There are many others, I am sure, that I will be lucky enough to come across in the future, and many more that are quietly going about supporting this community…but at this moment in time, this little band of understanders gives me strength. Strength that I am not alone (it can be very bloody lonely sometimes!) and that there are others that will need my ear as much as I need theirs.

So, where is this Substack page going?

I will continue to share my journeys and experiences (like I have said before, it is far cheaper than therapy) on this page, but I am also going to start sharing the details of what I am doing/have found in regards to looking after this adonis like (😆) body that I have been kindly donated to me by them upstairs. I am hoping that with this change of thinking, it will give whatever cancer cells are trying to take a hold of my healthy cells a bit of a harder fight.

Make sure you subscribe so as to keep unto date with what I have discovered in regards to the food that I am eating, the exercise I am introducing and the other ‘woo-woo’ things along the way that might or might not have an impact on my ‘longevity’ (for the record, I bloody hate this word but my medical team seem to hang off it for some reason).

Come along for the ride and let’s see where this train goes…🚂

BTW: This is the other side of my life post diagnosis...it is amazing what happens after some Doc tells you that you might die at 46 years old. Go grab a look, the Camino stories are my favourite…

Till next week!

If you need more support then there are some great charities ready to help:

United Kingdom: https://prostatecanceruk.org

United States: https://www.pcf.org