Doctor, 'I can't pee when I want and when I want to then I can't' 'Don't worry Bob its your age just soldier on as long as possible' he replied. So I did but it wasn't too much longer before I visited another Doctor. He advised a blood test to measure my PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) concentration.
Oooh Dear it was 18 when it should have been 3 or 4. So off I trotted to meet the Consultant, Mr Alvan Pope. There followed a series of tests, a biopsy and scans, which revealed some nasty looking cancer cells within the prostate gland. The Silent Assassin was working away… In the meantime I had been hitting Google to get information on Prostate Cancer which is running rife these days and killing a man every hour of every day..
I was shocked….
This disease is up there with Breast Cancer but does not have the public awareness that it should, probably as men hate talking about widdling to anyone, least of all doctors. Granted there are two very active charities Prostate UK who train nurses and doctors, and The Prostate Cancer Charity who sponsor research and run a 'hotline' which offers advice. If these two Charities could organise a Prostate Awareness Day and gain national media coverage then those middle aged men with symptoms would seek advice, take early action and deny the Silent Assassin another victim.
Anyway I found some blokes who had defeated this Beast and chatted to them as well as an Oncologist. I decided I'd rather the rigours of surgery than a daily dose of X rays frying my insides. And hence on the 1st August I became prostateless and the Beast got chucked in the bin. Thanks to my Saviour, Alvan Pope I have a new life; better than Death which would have come early next year!