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Graham Smith
Jan Thompson
Graham Mumby-Croft


IT COULDNT HAPPEN TO ME ... COULD IT????

An article in January’s Daily Mail newspaper informed readers that the number of men now diagnosed with prostate cancer outnumber those ladies diagnosed with breast cancer and that prostate cancer is now the most common type of this disease in the U.K.

 I am aware that there may be many of our members who have been diagnosed with this disease, and who therefore may find this article unnecessary reading. It is addressed mainly to those of you who haven’t suffered with this ailment and also to the wives, partners and anyone with male contacts. I thought after having read the article in the Daily Mail that RPGA members maybe interested to read via this submission, my account and my journey through this experience.

I had reached the age of seventy-eight years without any major medical issues, but just after Christmas 2023 I began to feel that things were not quite right in that I would stand for some considerable time at the toilet waiting for things to happen and on other occasions could not get to the toilet fast enough. It must be my age, surely it can’t be anything else after all I am fit and active. My wife convinced me to make an appointment at my doctors, so off I went still convinced I was wasting everyone’s time, after all I was not in any form of pain. Having explained my problems to my doctor, on came the expected rubber glove and after the examination was told that I needed an urgent blood test. Still nothing to worry about thought I, it is just the doctor being extra careful. Within a few days the blood test was taken and two weeks later it was confirmed that my PSA level indicated that I was showing signs of prostate cancer. I was referred to Shrewsbury hospital to undergo a biopsy. Those of you who have undergone a biopsy of any kind will know they are not the most pleasant of experiences, but there I was legs up in stirrups with a doctor at one end performing the procedure.

‘I always take 28 samples to make sure you don’t have to come back’, said the doctor. I was surrounded by three nurses with not a great deal of dignity, but at my age I wasn’t over worried. One nurse held my hand, I presume to offer some form of reassurance. ‘We like to play a little game’ the nurse said, by trying to guess what our patients did for a living. ‘Will you please give us an opening clue?’ I replied that I retired at 55 years of age to which the nurse holding my hand said, ‘You were a prison governor.’ ‘How did you know?’ said I. ‘It’s not on my notes.’ To which the nurse replied, ‘it was stab in the dark because my father was a prison governor and he retired age 55 so I put two and two together.’ I discovered from further questioning that her father had been a PO PEI at Newbold Revel before his promotion to the governor grades. There may be some of you reading this item who are able to recognise that gentleman, indeed if he’s an RPGA member he may be reading this item himself. If so please thank your daughter from me for her kindness on the day.

Two weeks later results from the biopsy came through showing that out of the 28 samples taken 26 had developed cancer cells. After a short period of time an appointment was made for me with the cancer team at Royal Stoke Hospital. A team of doctors at from Urology department had studied my case and prescribed radiotherapy as the most appropriate a form of treatment. The interviewing doctor arranged for me to have an MRI scan and asked during the interview, if I would like to take up the offer of a Barrigel insertion. Not all hospitals offer this treatment but Royal Stoke had been given a certain amount of Berrigel for new patients. I was informed further that Berrigel is a material that has to be inserted by a doctor and moulded by the doctor under your prostate to prevent the radiology passing beyond the prostate and into your lower area. My wife quick as a flash answered that question for me, “ of course he does “ said she. So a few days later I was back again at the hospital with feet back up in stirrups undergoing the procedure to have this Barrigel inserted. The gel substance stays in the body and dissolves naturally over a period of three to four months. It was an uncomfortable procedure but not painful.

Within the next few weeks I was back at Royal Stoke for 28 days of radiography. The treatment ran over a full month excluding weekends. Now the hardest part of this particular treatment was trying to find a car parking spot at the hospital. The actual procedure only lasted for about three minutes on each of the treatment days. After the radiography I was given 3 months supply of Tamulosin tablets along with two hormone therapy injections at 3 month intervals, to be administered at my local GP surgery. Three months later another blood sample was taken which showed that my PSA had fallen considerably. Another 3 months passed and another PSA blood test which showed that although my PSA level had slightly risen. it had not risen high enough to cause concern. I was informed that my next blood sample would be required in 6 months time.

We have now arrived at January 2026 almost 2 years since my original doctor’s appointment. I attended my local surgery where the blood sample was taken and told that the results would be analysed by my cancer care team and the results forwarded on to me. Mid January the results came from the care team via a letter. I was informed that my PSA was now at a level which did not cause them any concern, and that they would contact me again in 6 months time when further blood samples were needed. That will take me up to June 2026. I wish to assure readers that none of the aforementioned procedures caused me anything more than a little discomfort and certainly no pain. Research by the Prostate Cancer UK inform us that prostate cancer testing is today more accurate and safer than ever before. They offer a 30 second on line self test which can be found on their website www.prostatecanceruk.org for anyone wishing avail themselves of it.

When I retired from the Prison Service one of my ambition was and still is to live as long as possible and to receive my service pension for the same period of time that I worked. I feel sure that all of you have similar objectives. Without the aforementioned diagnosis and subsequent treatment I probably would not be able to attain that ambition. If caught early enough prostate cancer is treatable and whilst you are told that you will die with the cancer it will not be the cancer which kills you. Please, please can I urge all readers, if you have not already done so, see you doctor for a PSA test, if you leave it till you feel pain then it’s probably too late to be cured by the simple treatment explained above or indeed by tablet.

MICK ROEBUCK