Friend of mine recently attended the funeral of a 63 year old that had lost his fight to cancer, he'd had a good life and in the "great scheme of things" it seemed right to accept his passing as OK.

On the 7th July 2017 a Sunderland supporter also succumbed to cancer but he was just six years old.

Now every time my Macmillan piggy bank increases I think of that young Sunderland supporter and that for him in the "great scheme of things" it wasn't right it's not acceptable, and it's just not OK.

Bradley Lowery (aged six)

PREFACE

The shadow of cancer passed over me, lingered then rested inside me and I didn't feel a thing, no pain, no sign - nothing.

A visit to my GP and a passing remark about a slight change in my waterworks was enough to set the alarm bells ringing.

Stage 1 DISCOVERY

WHEN I was initially diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, I was asked to sit at the top end of the out patients ward and wait for the doctor that had performed three endoscopes and over 30 biopsies on my prostate - he eventually arrived accompanied by a nurse.

"Never good news when a doctor is accompanied by a nurse - one to hold your hand while the other delivers the worse".

Stage 2 DIAGNOSIS

DOCTOR Gonzales sat behind his desk, shuffled his papers before he told me that the test results confirmed I had prostate cancer... it felt like a death sentence.

Apart from my inability to string one coherent thought to another I needed to tell my family - but first I needed a drink.

Pint in hand and reflecting on my diagnosis my options appeared to be radical surgery or brachytherapy, the former did not appeal so I opted for the latter.

Dr Gonzales was sympathetic and understanding, but the nurse inadvertently gave me something much more - a tiny ray of hope and food for thought..

"Mr Hynes, the pain you feel may seem acute - but your cancer is a T2, and almost minute"

Stage 3 BATTLEGROUND

THE fog in my head was beginning to clear, the fear and anxiety were slowly being replaced by an intense resentment. 

I started my research with a dossier, speaking to doctors, nurses, patients, carers anyone that could add to my growing arsenal of information.

Cancer is such an insidious disease but if it is caught early enough it can mean the difference between successful and prolonged treatment.

If you have good health then you are blessed -  but for those less fortunate the fight goes on - there is no respite, no rest.

Stage 4 TREATMENT

ONE of the first procedures for suspected prostate cancer is the DRE  an electronic probe perhaps ? not quite, in medical terms digital means FINGER ! (Digital Rectal Examination)

The doctor was blonde, blue eyed, she asked me to lay on the examination table on my side,  then behind me the familiar 'snap' followed by yet another finger wandering up my backside.

The curtains at Christie's were drawn back by another blue eyed blonde who informed me that I have a slow heart rate well at least she wasn't giving me the finger.

70+ radioactive 'seeds' later Dr Loach expressed his satisfaction with my PSA count then left me in the capable hands of the staff nurse.

I was asked to drink lots of water which I did, but while the water was going in I was becoming more and more anxious that none of it was coming out so that by the time I got home I sat down and passed out.

The doctor in Oldham A & E said my bladder was so full it would have knocked out a charging rhino and that I needed a catheter. Insertion of the catheter was given to a junior doctor who started by reading the instructions ?? he then showered me and himself in urine, eventually having got the catheter in and the contents of my bladder out the nurse held up almost 2 litres of liquid.

Stage 5 BACK TO CHRISTIE'S

The job of removing the catheter was given to the ward sister who deflated the catheter and give it a hefty tug, which felt like I was about to lose an important part of my anatomy so I involuntarily squeezed tight to my belongings - the sister told me to "relax" - not easy when someone is pulling on your plonker!

Catheter finally out and several bottles of urine later I was allowed to go home, now a card carrying member of the life saving Christie hospital complete with radioactive prostate.

Stage 6 FINALE

Only when you have had cancer can you fully appreciate the tremendous service that the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff of the NHS provide in the fight to eradicate it.

This has been a small part of my story dealing with my cancer, twelve years since initial diagnosis including five years of check ups I was finally kicked out in 2010.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My grateful thanks to my wife for putting up with me and all the NHS staff that were involved in my treatment in particular my GP Dr Kumar (who first gave me the finger) Dr Gonzales for finding my cancer, Dr Loach for my radioactive prostate, and of course staff nurse Aurora.......for pulling on my plonker !