Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

My Just giving story.

The Men United in Song Concert in support of Prostrate Cancer UK will take place Saturday 4 July 2026 at Southend on Sea Plaza Centre and will be exactly 1 year, 1 month and 1 day after finishing my treatments, and 1 month after my hormone treatment finishes🤞

My Journey:

Didn’t start with cancer but with a triple heart bypass. Late 2022, the day before I was due to go in for my bypass operation my sister calls. My wife takes the call upstairs, I’m watching football. She comes down stairs and say ‘turn the football off, I’ve got something to tell you’. My sister had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I called her back but what can you say. There was nothing I could do, wasn’t allowed to travel for about 12 weeks but as soon as I could, we travelled to Wales to see her. At just 54, my sister did everything right, she was a good eater, exercised a lot, took her vitamins, just the occasional Guinness or two (for medicinal purposes). For the next eight months, my wife and I travelled to and from Wales helping to look after her, towards the end spending more time there than at home, sadly on Sept 1 we lost her, she gave up her fight against cancer, it had won this one.

It was now early 2023 and went to my GP regarding excessive passing of water through the night, she sent me for tests etc, and whilst my PSA level wasn’t excessive, she wanted me to have further tests (written in her notes in red, “just a gut feeling”). She was right, after many tests, scans etc I was diagnosed with prostrate cancer (early stages) so a big shout out to my GP!

Of course, first thing was memories of how my sister suffered but being a half glass full type of guy, tried to think positive as best I could, it’s strange but just that word ‘cancer’ casts a cloud over everything. I was given my options by the team in the hospital and since a relative of mine had his removed, there was a lot to consider. We chose the hormone treatment with Brachytherapy and Radiology. My Brachytherapy and radiology treatment was completed 3rd June 2025 and my hormone injections should be completed 11th June 2026, currently I’m cancer free but they will monitor me for the next few years.

Since my diagnosis, with the help of the urology nurses, staff and MacMillan, I have joined other cancer sufferers at the gym twice a week, the exercise is great but the coffee and talking afterwards is even better, best therapy you can get. Different people from all walks of life with different types and stages of cancer but united as a family to help and support each other whenever needed. I’ve also taken up Tai Chi once a week, again the benefits are enormous from just being around people who care. Joining the Men United in Song choir is just another therapeutic way of helping me to get through this situation whilst hopefully helping others. By donating whatever you are able to give to the JustGiving page for Prostrate Cancer UK, it will benefit so many people in so many ways as it helped me when I needed it. Cancer is a scary word no matter what the case may be so any help, in whatever way will benefit the sufferers of this dreadful disease, let’s try and help as many people as we can.

I dedicate this part of my journey to my dear sister and old friend Christopher King who was taken by this horrid disease.