When it comes to health, it’s becoming more and more common that men want to develop their skills to be more open. While there are countless possible reasons for this, one that crops up often is that men are less comfortable with having what they think are vulnerabilities – whether with friends or medical professionals.
Wayne McDonell knows this from personal experience. That’s why, as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, running throughout September, he’s keen to send a message to his peers.
“I’d direct it at men over 50, that are too pig-headed to go to a doctor,” says Wayne. “Fellas like me: tradies, farmers, drovers, earth movers, cowboys. The alpha males. You need to realise we’re not bulletproof.”
Don’t leave it too late
When Wayne was diagnosed in October 2018 with prostate cancer, it had already metastasised. An active 54-year-old, he had no obvious symptoms, so it came as a shock. “It was tough news to cop,” he recalls. The first feeling was numbness. Then came a tidal wave of emotion, as he shared the information with his family. “There were heaps of tears.”
Sadly, with prostate cancer being the most common cancer type among Australian males, Wayne’s experience isn’t out of the ordinary. Affecting one in six men by the time they turn 85, some notice an increased need to urinate, discomfort when they do, or blood in the urine, but many display no symptoms at all.
The good news is that prostate cancer is treatable, and the earlier it’s detected, the better the chance of recovery. That’s why regular testing is crucial.
Be proactive
Step one is a visit to your GP for a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. While this alone isn’t enough to diagnose prostate cancer, it helps to form part of the picture. The general recommendation is that men have PSA testing every two years once they reach 50. If, however, there’s a family history of prostate cancer, a PSA test is advised every two years for men, from the age of 40.
Wayne’s son Mitch, who is 32, already had a grandparent who is a prostate cancer survivor, “then with me getting it so aggressively, he’ll definitely be getting checked early,” says Wayne.
“If I was diagnosed earlier things could have been different. I could have had an operation, taken the prostate out and thrown it over my shoulder. Done.”
Embracing life
Instead, as Wayne’s cancer has spread to his lymph nodes, it’s a case of managing it and living well with cancer.
He spent a day or two dwelling on this diagnosis, “then I realised that laying down and wallowing in self-pity wouldn’t help one bit,” he says. His method of lifting himself out of that despair was by educating himself.
“That’s where Cancer Council really shone,” Wayne says. He and wife Lisa loaded themselves up with pamphlets like our Understanding Prostate Cancer booklet that explained every aspect of prostate cancer, and immediately felt empowered.
“For me, information was pretty well all I needed,” he says “And knowing there are nurses, if I need someone to have a yarn to. I was in a fortunate position where I had my own transport and my own accommodation, but I’ve seen people making use of that. Cancer Council is such a good organisation.”
These days, Wayne takes nothing for granted, “I appreciate every day I get,” he says. “We’re so blessed to be happily married with healthy kids, a heap of grandkids. What else would you want?”
Which brings him back to his message to protect more of life’s moments. “Keep getting checked. Don’t skip a year. 90 per cent of the time, things will be alright. But if it’s not, you need that early diagnosis.”
