“He was my best friend. He was, and he always will be, my best friend ».
Danielle Ray was extremely close to her father, Johnny.
“We used to say we were each other’s twins, we literally had the same mindset.”
“And we were very, very close. So, it’s very hard without him.”
As Danielle, or Dan as her dad knew her, approaches her 30th birthday, it weighs on her that she will reach one of her life’s milestones without him.
She was just 25 years old when Johnny died following being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Johnny was 63 years old.
Early diagnosis, the key
Having lost his father to a disease that, if discovered early, is treatable, has been hard to accept.
“His diagnosis was a surprise. But now that I realize, he had shown symptoms.
“But almost out of nowhere he was referred (to another specialist), when the symptoms worsened and he was diagnosed in October 2015.”
“It probably started a couple of years ago, but you never think it’s going to happen to you, or it’s going to affect your family.”
Johnny he died two years following being diagnosed.
Danielle feels that her initial symptoms – such as the frequent urge to empty the bladder – were also not recognized by his doctor early enough, and he says his father didn’t seek a second opinion either.”
Not to mention, many men find it difficult to talk regarding their prostate problems.
Difficulties in diagnosing
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2022 more than 268,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the country, with 34,500 deaths reported.
Nicola Tallet, an executive at the Prostate Cancer organization in the UK, says the pandemic has had a real impact on the number of people seeking help.
“Prostate cancer is most common cancer in men but the pandemic has meant that thousands of men have not come forward to be diagnosed and might be missing out on potentially life-saving treatment,” he said.
“Men have been telling us that they didn’t want to ‘bother’ their GPs during the pandemic, especially if they had no symptoms, which is the case for most men with early-stage prostate cancer.”
“This means that men at high risk for the disease are not having those vital conversations regarding their risks, something that might lead to a diagnosis.”
Prostate cancer symptoms
- Need to urinate more frequently
- Difficulty urinating standing up, weak stream, and delayed
- Blood in semen or urine
These symptoms can be caused by other diseases, so it is important to consult a doctor.
What to do if I am at risk?
Professor Peter Johnson, National Medical Director for Britain’s NHS, says it’s important to know what steps to take if you’re at risk.
“The prognosis for people we haven’t seen yet will be much better the earlier we can see them, but we do need to see them as soon as possible.”
“It is important for men to understand that the prostate cancer often no symptoms in its early stages, so don’t delay, analyze your risks right now. A simple checkup might save your life.”
one in eight men will have prostate cancer in their lifetime: men of over 50 yearsBlack men and those with a family history of cancer are at even higher risk.
The advantages of an early diagnosis
That was the exact case of Andrew Richardson, his dad has lived with prostate cancer for years.
In 2020, Andrew himself had a routine blood test that revealed some worrying signs, followed by a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
His advice to other men now is simple: “Don’t sit around thinking everything is going to be okay.”
“Something might happen and if there’s one thing I’ve learned regarding prostate cancer it’s that it’s very aggressive.”
“Once the rest of your body is taken over, it can become a game of tag.”
“I mean, I was very lucky, I didn’t need radiotherapy, I didn’t need chemotherapy. One operation was enough for me.”
Andrew admits that recovery was difficult.
But he’s running once more, he’s regarding to play 5-a-side once more, and last summer he even finished a 10K run in a very decent 52 minutes.
And he says it was just a blood test that saved his life.
«I think I used all my luck in one opportunity. And if it’s the only luck I’m going to have in my life, I’ll take it.
One disease, two very different endings.
But both Andrew and Danielle have the same message for the thousands of men believed to be living with prostate cancer today: get yourself checked out even if your concern is only very slight.
