I'm a 58 year old bloke. I'm a cameraman not a writer. I express myself with images, not words. I've never blogged before. I've had nothing I wanted to write about. It was only when in a post-op hospital ward recovering from prostate surgery that I realised I had something I wanted to say that might be of use to others.
By the time I got around to taking action I was in physical crisis. I went to my doctor and put my full trust in him to sort me out believing he'd know what to do. Strangely he didn't and unbeknownst to me several years and many GP visits passed when he did absolutely nothing he should have done to help me. I still don't know why. I still don't know how he, a male of a similar age, could have failed to identify a correct path of treatment for me. Perhaps he just hadn't attended college the day the lecture on men's prostates took place.
When he finally prescribed medication it didn't work. Initially he prescribed the wrong two tablets. Fucking astonishing I know - even unbelievable. When after 2 years I finally started on the right ones I was beyond the point of them being effective. I now needed an operation but that was going to cost far more than I could afford so I had no choice but to go on a lengthy national health service waiting list in the UK.
From being referred to a specialist to finally having the short operation I needed took four and a half years. In that time it never ocurred to me to write about my experience. I was locked up in my own little world of suffering. I was on my own - unique in my suffering. Why on earth would I write about an embarrassing personal health problem - a problem with peeing!?
Since having the operation however it has dawned on me that if I have been experiencing such chronic and debilitating pain from an enlarged prostate - a condition 50％ of men over the age of fifty develop to some degree - then perhaps there are others out there who might benefit from me sharing my story and learn from my many mistakes.
So here it is.
At risk of being ridiculed, I've chosen to be very open about my experiences - I've taken a warts and all approach. There's really no alternative if it's to be in any way helpful to readers going through similar experiences and in need of support.
My prostate condition began over a fifteen years ago. It grew worse very slowly and it is only now, looking back, that I can see the various increasing stages of severity it moved through over that time before finally being treated a few weeks ago. Whilst surgery has helped, my condition still hasn't been fully resolved so there is undoubtedly plenty more to come - all of which I'm willing to share.
In this blog I will endeavour to describe as many of the symptoms I experienced as I can so whatever stage you are at with your prostate condition there should be something you can relate to. I hope that by identifying with and sharing their own thoughts, experiences and stories to the blog participants will help to grow the knowledge for the benefit of all.
If this blog in any way helps you deal with your enlarged prostate condition I'm truly delighted and I welcome your input and feedback. Please do share it with others in your male social network.
PLEASE NOTE:
This blog is not about a journey through prostate cancer. I do not have prostate cancer. My condition is related to an enlarged prostate causing severe restriction to my ability to urinate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) If you want to read a diary written by someone about their prostate cancer experience please visit:
https://www.blueribbonfoundation.org.uk/news/2022/03/04/a-prostate-diary-chapter-1/
