Men's things - IX

It is serious stuff

My decision to share my experience of what men face with prostate cancer is one I do not treat with any levity. You will read humour and maybe laugh at my expression; it does not take away from the seriousness of what a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate might present.

Cancer is part of the human experience, it does not have to define your outlook as the end of the road of your existence, the greatest battle you will have is in your mind rather than in the prospects, the treatment, your recovery, and much else. If you believe at the receipt of such news that you will die, you quite likely would, if you choose that you will live, you have everything to live for.

Take the fine part

I speak as someone who 15 years ago received a cancer diagnosis with the prospect in the words of my consultant who had the weight of medical expertise on his side of his prognosis. He said, “We can treat this, but it depends on how your body can take the treatment, if you can tolerate it, you’ll be fine, otherwise, you probably have 5 weeks.”

I took the fine part and left the weeks part in the dust of history, and that has become my testimony of living and living well.

All with a friend

For my appointment to get the results of the transperineal prostate biopsy that was taken a month ago, I already had a good idea of the situation, the rest was to understand what they had observed towards the conclusions they would draw which would give me a handle on what I need to address.

We boarded the Uber taxicab, my friend had come as support because I was invited to bring someone to accompany me, when he called me to confirm, I was almost with the mind to tell him not to be too bothered, but he came over and I am glad for his support.

The driver asked where we were going and I said the Peter Mount Building, and it is ironic that a building where men are checked for men’s things, where manliness, masculinity, and patriarchy meet the humbling of disease has mount in the name. Surely, someone is having a joke at our expense.

Balls, nuts, very salty

He knew where the building was at as I told him, I had been there before because someone had a staplegun to my goolies, a month before. I guess I used goolies as a collective for everything pertaining to men’s things in that area. He asked if I still had them, I do, as my friend opined about how the man rumoured to only have one brought the world to ruin in World War II.

The driver half took the hint that he needed to check his men’s things and we all agreed that we do not talk freely enough about men’s things to have the prospect of early diagnoses if anything is awry. He said he was going to spend the rest of the day thinking of Akin’s nuts, I suggested he should try them salty. We all laughed until our sides ached. I was dressed as if I was going to a party.

Cut to the chase

Arriving quite early, the waiting room was busy, I took a seat and occupied myself with studying a map of the west of Manchester, I even found an error on the map. Soon, I was called into a consulting room where I showed the consultant that I was already aware, for over a week, of the information he was about to share, and that he should cut to the chase.

Blog - The note that crept in

Without dwelling on the point, we discussed what the future might be, from a medical perspective, and I thought of a different future blessed by what my belief grants me. Even as I positively attended to the information, I felt a little tremor in my hands, partly out of shock that you will naturally expect and at the same time, you must overwhelm the circumstances with a greater sense of personal and Godly hope.

Leaflets, pamphlets, and booklets later, we departed for a hearty brunch. Please, have a brief look and feel at your men’s things, the earlier you know, the better your prospects. I will continue to write about this. It is well with my soul and yours.

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