From overactive bladder to stomach via prostate cancer.
My journey started back in 2019 when I saw my GP because of an overactive bladder. It wasn’t until 2024 when my FP referred me to the Urology department at my local hospital. My PSA was relatively low at 1.86 but they decided to send me for a biopsy which diagnosed me with prostate cancer. I went through 20 days of radiotherapy at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. After a couple of months I had minor PR bleeding and my PSA was down at 0.01.
At the end of July 2025 I was experiencing heavy PR bleeding and was diagnosed with Radiation Proctitis.
I was admitted into hospital on 5th August 2025. Through various procedures they tried to stop the bleeding which was unsuccessful. At the beginning of March 2026 a colorectal surgeon recommended that I had my rectum, ants and section of colon be removed. The operation was successful. I had been in hospital for 164 days over several admissions and I had 121 blood transfusions.
Now nearly three months after surgery I am in a good place. My HB is currently 91 (May 2026) where last June 2025 it was 136 and during the seven months of hospitalisation my HB went down as low as 33.
Mine is a success story but the mental trauma I went through is hard to get through.
I hope my story can help others who are experiencing the same problem.