HI, I am ... 'T3aM0N0, Gleason 9, PSA 0.2ng/ml', in short: 'a Prostate Cancer (PCa) patient' - not yet a survivor. Glad to meet you!
I'm also known as: 'A Very Interesting Case'; 'My 9 o'clock' and depending on who you are talking to: 'a real pain in the arse' ... or sometimes: 'the poor bastard'!
It doesn't really matter, I will usually answer to all of the above.
One thing I have learned (and there have been many) over the past 20 months of battling with Prostate Cancer, is that you must cultivate a sense of humour or you're in trouble. Anything will do, from mildly humorous to absolutely zany ... although go a little easy on the latter!
Something else I've learned, is that life is short, precious and worth the effort; although some days I wrestle with that one.
I remember the (then humorous) TV ad which aired some years ago, which featured a martial arts guru instructing a young pupil, and 'wisely' expounding: "Make pain your friend"!
Well at the time I thought: 'hmm ... yeah I can see his point'. But I didn't realise then, that 'pain' was stalking me in the form of an inoperable and terminal cancer; and that it was about to intrude into my world demanding to become my inseparable companion!
Pain - those who have suffered it long enough will know - is very wearing, even exhausting.
And because of the nature of our modern society we all too quickly reach for pain killers to resolve our dilemma. Now I'm not about to declare that I've finally 'made pain my friend' and simply accepted this intruder; but I have found a way to accept pain BUT on my terms. Let me explain.
I recently, about 5 months ago, I took up the sport of kayaking.
Two or three times a week; my wife and I paddle around the large saltwater lake near our home for between 90-120 minutes. At first this was indeed painful! But along the way something amazing happened; I began to lose weight, build muscle and stamina, I even began to FEEL good about life in general - you've got to love the adrenalin and the endorphins.
However, a problem arose about a month ago that demanded my attention; I wanted MORE and the weather was becoming very changeable!
I remember driving home from the lake one day, reminiscing about the similarity between this sport and the surfing of my youth! It felt good on so many levels! I had to find a way to maintain my exercise regime during the times when the weather wasn't as favourable.
That's when my (long suffering) wife decided we should try one of her favourite sports ... swimming! And so it was off to the local heated outdoor swimming pool.
Result? I loved it! We are now swimming 4 or 5 times a week rain, hail, or shine and I'm managing to swim just over a kilometre in the hour we set aside.
Now, I'm not going to lie ... both sports are still painful even after all this time. However, there is a GOOD reason for this pain - I'm getting fitter and healthier and I'm beginning to FEEL it! I'm enjoying life again and the depression has lessened remarkably.
Nowadays, after a few laps (or a couple of hundred metres paddling) the pain goes and I literally feel great! Sounds like I'm hooked doesn't it?!
Oh, and by the way, my fitness regime is also reaping benefits in the form of: much less fatigue and greater mobility without the nagging arthritic pain!
Make pain your friend? Well, yes; but on your terms!!
I'm also known as: 'A Very Interesting Case'; 'My 9 o'clock' and depending on who you are talking to: 'a real pain in the arse' ... or sometimes: 'the poor bastard'!
It doesn't really matter, I will usually answer to all of the above.
One thing I have learned (and there have been many) over the past 20 months of battling with Prostate Cancer, is that you must cultivate a sense of humour or you're in trouble. Anything will do, from mildly humorous to absolutely zany ... although go a little easy on the latter!
Something else I've learned, is that life is short, precious and worth the effort; although some days I wrestle with that one.
I remember the (then humorous) TV ad which aired some years ago, which featured a martial arts guru instructing a young pupil, and 'wisely' expounding: "Make pain your friend"!
Well at the time I thought: 'hmm ... yeah I can see his point'. But I didn't realise then, that 'pain' was stalking me in the form of an inoperable and terminal cancer; and that it was about to intrude into my world demanding to become my inseparable companion!
Pain - those who have suffered it long enough will know - is very wearing, even exhausting.
And because of the nature of our modern society we all too quickly reach for pain killers to resolve our dilemma. Now I'm not about to declare that I've finally 'made pain my friend' and simply accepted this intruder; but I have found a way to accept pain BUT on my terms. Let me explain.
I recently, about 5 months ago, I took up the sport of kayaking.
Two or three times a week; my wife and I paddle around the large saltwater lake near our home for between 90-120 minutes. At first this was indeed painful! But along the way something amazing happened; I began to lose weight, build muscle and stamina, I even began to FEEL good about life in general - you've got to love the adrenalin and the endorphins.
However, a problem arose about a month ago that demanded my attention; I wanted MORE and the weather was becoming very changeable!
I remember driving home from the lake one day, reminiscing about the similarity between this sport and the surfing of my youth! It felt good on so many levels! I had to find a way to maintain my exercise regime during the times when the weather wasn't as favourable.
That's when my (long suffering) wife decided we should try one of her favourite sports ... swimming! And so it was off to the local heated outdoor swimming pool.
Result? I loved it! We are now swimming 4 or 5 times a week rain, hail, or shine and I'm managing to swim just over a kilometre in the hour we set aside.
Now, I'm not going to lie ... both sports are still painful even after all this time. However, there is a GOOD reason for this pain - I'm getting fitter and healthier and I'm beginning to FEEL it! I'm enjoying life again and the depression has lessened remarkably.
Nowadays, after a few laps (or a couple of hundred metres paddling) the pain goes and I literally feel great! Sounds like I'm hooked doesn't it?!
Oh, and by the way, my fitness regime is also reaping benefits in the form of: much less fatigue and greater mobility without the nagging arthritic pain!
Make pain your friend? Well, yes; but on your terms!!
