Some of you will know that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2022. 

Despite there being a family history, it still came as a massive shock. Fortunately, it was caught early and hadn’t spread beyond my prostate. 

I was 50 when diagnosed, which is relatively young (made all the more obvious by the double takes from the other, much older patients in the waiting room!)

My consultant suggested that due to my age and otherwise good health, I undergo a robotic radical prostatectomy (whip the whole prostate out). I underwent surgery on the 3rd January 2023, carried out by the remarkable team at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital. 

I was sent home the following day and spent the next few weeks recovering (in between swearing at daytime telly and learning how to climb the stairs again!) 

Fast forward 12 months, I am cancer free, but will undergo 6 monthly blood tests to make sure it hasn’t popped up somewhere else. 

I’ve spent the last year trying to get back to some level of fitness, and to show my unending thanks, have decided to fundraise for Prostate Cancer UK by signing up for my first ever organised 10k running event, my home town’s GPW Recruitment St Helens 10K.

Any donation, however small would be hugely appreciated for a charity that is doing so much to help tackle what is the 2nd biggest killer of men in the UK.

Thank you so much for reading this, and finally, fellas - get yourselves checked, it couldn’t be easier, it’s a simple blood test. Just ask your GP for a PSA test.