Dignity be damned

I have prostate cancer. At the time of writing this, I am awaiting surgery, but by the time you read it, it will be over. Hopefully, it was caught early enough to be taken care of. However, during diagnosis and treatment, I’ve come across some views that are potentially dangerous. This is not good.

Let me begin by telling you about Clive.

Clive was an old friend of mine back in the UK from my university days, before I headed down to New Zealand. He was generally very fit and healthy but had been to see his doctor with a stubborn pain in his back. A blood test revealed a high PSA reading (prostate-specific antigen – a protein produced in the prostate, rising levels of which may indicate cancer). A biopsy confirmed that he did, in fact, have prostate cancer, which had spread to the bones in his back.

A couple of months after his diagnosis, I visited the UK during the northern hemisphere summer and caught up with Clive and his family. He was in great spirits, his treatment was going well and he was cycling long distances to keep fit.

He was dead before Christmas.

I know several