I was diagnosed with prostate Cancer at 49; How’s the Changed My Life

This as-told-to Essay is bassed on a conversation with Henry Butler, a prostate Cancer Survivor. He lives in the uk with his wife, where they run a wine shop together. The Conversation has been edited for Length and Clarity.

When i found out i might have prostate Cancer, I was on Holiday with my family, sitting on a boat.

I Remember Getting the Phone Call From My Doctor Saying That My PSA Levels Were Slightly Above What they Should Be For My Age, and I Should Come in More Tests Might Be Cancer.

So that was fun.

When i got back, I returned to the doctor and got an internal examination with the finger up the backside. That’s wen he said my prostate didn’t feed right on one side.

I WISH I HADN’T HAD SO MANY TREATMENT Options

I was diagnosed with Early-staGe prostate Cancer in 2019 at age 49. I’d been taking antibiotics for a sinus infection and suddenly started getting a lot of Painful utis.

I never prioritized doctor Visits before, but my wife insisted I schedule an appointment. Thank goodness she did.

AFTER MY DOCTOR FELT MY PROSTATE, Everything was fast-tracked. I had an Mri and two biopsy. My gleason score, which measures how aggressive the Cancer is, was Around Three or Four – High Enough to Consider Treatment.

I was gioven Loads of Options. I Sort of Expert the Medical Experts to Tel me what Treatment of Should have, but it was the reverse. They Said This Needed to Be My Journey, and i Had to Choose.

In hindsight, i wish i hadn’t haad all the options. My wife and i investigated say all, and i still wasn’t sura what the right one.

THEN, ONE DAY, I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, AND A UROLOGIST WHO HAD BOUGHT WINE US A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK RECGOZED ME.

We got to talking, and he was the first doctor of really warmed to. He told me straight up, “You’ve got Cancer and we need to deal with it.” On Hearing that, i Just Thought, “You’re the man.”

We discussed the various options and ultimately decided to go with surgery.

I chose to cut the Cancer

In Spring 2020, I HAD a prostatectomy. The doctor said i was going to feed like the hit by a train after the surgery, and he was right. Getting back on track wasy and tok a full year.

Aside from the Pain post-surgery, which got a little better each week, I have been with incontinence and couldn’t get an erection. This didn’t make me with feed likes of a man, though. Accept that if there are changes, thatn i’d deal with it, and it would be fine.

I’ve got a friend who doesn’t want any Treatment Becuse i Think He’s World About How It Wold Change Him as a Man. So he just monitors His PSA Levels But is Constantly World.

Physically, i’m back to normal

I struggled with incontinence during that first year post-surgery, but now i hardly think about it.

Sex was something my wife and i had to get to, again. Part of my recovery involved Viagra’s viagra day for a year to help get Everything back in working Order.

My Wife Was World About Hurting with Father First, and i was Also nerousus, but we got there eventally.

Physically, I’m Almost Completely Back to Normal, Thanks to the Incredible Care of Received and Diligently Following the Recovery Guidelines, Like Regularly Walking, Doing Kegel Exercises, and Positive Staying.

Howver, This Experience has Changed My Life.

My Life is Different after Treatment

I start therapy for the first time in my life. A Friend Signed with Up Because of Had the Cancer Thing Going on, I HAD A COUPLE OF FRIENDS WHO DED, AND BUSINESS WAS STUDGling.

Out turn, I love Therapy. Off the back of that, i’m now in a men’s group.

Before all this, the though of joining a men’s group sounded horrific. I didn’t want to sit around with a bunch of men and talc about, i don’t know, stuff. But it has ben been super rewarding.

You quickly realize that everybody had something going on – it’s not always canber, it can be another form of trauma. We talc About masculinity and how you deal with trauma mentally, and how you communicate with Each Other. That’s been a really good Way of Making Connections with People.

I think that a big thing that’s Changed in me. I’m Better at Keeping Connections and Being More Open with My Emotional Side, Which Can Be Upsetting Somes, But the Benefits Far Outweigh The Negatives. You get a lot Back from People if you’re vulnerable.