Waiting for results was the worst

MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE:On a scale of one to 10 my cancer was a six or a seven, writes TED DWYER

IN JULY 2008 I went to my GP, Dr Sean Brown, as I do once a year, and he advised me that my last blood test taken a few weeks earlier had shown that my PSA (prostate-specific antigen) was slightly raised.

This is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. High levels of it are an indicator of prostate cancer.

Dr Brown did not think this was a cause for alarm. However, to be on the safe side, he advised that I have another blood test done in three months which I did and the level was back to normal so I was relieved.

However, a third test showed the levels were slightly raised again. He recommended that I get a biopsy done which was arranged for the Mercy hospital in Cork on December 15th of that year.

The biopsy didn’t take long, and while being uncomfortable it wasn’t too bad. It was with relief that I left the Mercy and made a quick visit to St Francis’s Church around the corner and made a promise to God that, if he looked after me, I would be a much more devout Christian in the future.

Waiting around for my results in December 2008 was the worst part of the whole thing. I had a desperate Christmas. It tests one’s faith.

It was with a fair degree of fear and trepidation that I went to see my consultant Paul Sweeney on January 13th last year for the results of the biopsy. Mr Sweeney told me in the nicest possible way that I had prostate cancer.

It was not that much of a surprise to me as there could only be two answers. I either had it or I didn’t.

I actually didn’t feel too bad at that time. The dread of not knowing whether I had cancer was worse than actually having it.

On a scale of one to 10 my cancer was a six or a seven. He gave me three choices: prostate removal, radiation or a new therapy which involves having radioactive seeds implanted into the prostate, a procedure known as brachytherapy.

Through my inquiries I was put in touch with Dr Dale Hacking, a consultant based at the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford. He told me he had carried out hundreds of such procedures in South Africa, but was waiting for a licence to do it in Ireland.

That licence has now been granted and three places carry out the procedure: the Beacon Hospital, Galway Clinic and Whitfield Clinic.

Dr Dale recommended Prof Frank Sullivan at the Galway Clinic for treatment so I went back to Mr Sweeney and he set up an appointment.

I went to see Prof Sullivan in February who said I was suitable for treatment, but he needed to do further tests. Eventually, I was told that June 10th would be the day of implants.

In my entire life of 62 years I had never spent a night in hospital.When I entered the Galway Clinic, I was handed a gown and a bonnet for my head and knee-length socks.

The implant procedure did not involve a surgical incision. A total of 81 small radioactive seeds (Iodine 125) were preloaded into needles which were then inserted into the prostate gland between the scrotum and anus. The procedure was done using ultrasound by the radiation oncologist. I was out for about two hours.

The anaesthetic was not a heavy one and I soon came around. I was wheeled back to the room and had a cup of tea which tasted great.

The following morning I had porridge and a boiled egg and, while I was feeling a little tired, I wasn’t too bad and at 10pm I was able to walk to the main entrance to be collected and brought home.

The following day, Friday, I called to the office for a few hours and on Monday I played 18 holes of golf. While I was tired, it was great to be able to do it. For a few weeks, I was tiring early, but since then I have been doing great.

I had trouble going to the toilet for two or three months afterwards, but, apart from that, and touch wood, it seemed to have worked.

The seeds dissolved over a period of 12 months. The big advantage of brachytherapy is that they can put the seeds exactly where the cancer is.

I had to be careful. I couldn’t go near a baby or a pregnant woman. I was actually radioactive! When I went to bed at night, my wife made sure she was as far away from me as possible.

I went back for another consultation with Dr Sullivan and it was all clear. I had another PSA test done in the last month and that too was okay. There is nothing to indicate any problem at the present time. It is history. I’m not worried about it. I’m moving on. The therapy has worked and the cancer has been killed. The success of this procedure seems to be excellent.

Luckily, I had serious illness insurance cover which pays on diagnosis.

In my case the diagnosis of prostate cancer was all that was required as the policy was an older one and so, without any fuss or delay, the claim was settled.

That cover gave me the opportunity to get the best treatment – and the best treatment was in Ireland. It was not cheap at between €20,000 and €25,000. However, I had money to make my own call and that to me was so important. I really recommend serious illness cover for people. It really helped me.

In conversation with Ronan McGreevy