Ryland Fisher shares his personal journey of overcoming prostate cancer, reflecting on the challenges and lessons learned one year after his life-changing surgery.
On Friday, 1 November, it will be one year since I underwent an operation to remove my cancerous prostate gland.
I had never anticipated becoming a cancer survivor, having lived a reasonably healthy life without any major operations before.
Last year this time, I had no idea what my life would be like after the operation and whether I would ever be able to live a normal life again.
The cancer diagnosis had come a few months before then and was followed by a whirlwind of emotional days, weeks and months in which I had more downs than ups.
The diagnosis followed a simple annual check-up with the general practitioner, who told me that it appeared my prostate was enlarged.
“But, not to worry,” she said. “Most men, as they get older, have problems with their prostate.” She said there was a possibility that it might not be cancer but merely an enlarged gland.
This was followed by a visit to a urologist, who confirmed that there was a growth on the prostate, but we should confirm this with an MRI scan. The MRI scan involved lying absolutely still for 45 minutes in the MRI machine, which makes a pounding and incessant noise. It was incredibly uncomfortable, but nothing compared to what was to come.
The MRI scan confirmed that there were two growths on the prostate, but not whether they were cancerous or not. A biopsy would be required to confirm that. I had no idea what a biopsy was, but agreed to do it. I remained positive.
After the biopsy at Kingsbury Hospital in Claremont, I woke up with an attachment to my penis and I was told to urinate into an attached bottle. Once I had passed more than 1.5l of urine, I would be okay to go home. My urine was red and every drop of urine I passed was an extremely painful process. Finally, after a couple of hours, I was able to go home.
I had to go back to the urologist to hear the results of the biopsy, which confirmed that I had cancer. I was devastated and did not know how to react.
It took a while for the news to sink in, and once I realised that I had cancer, my immediate reaction was to feel sorry for myself. My youngest daughter, who had gone with me to the doctor, drove me to Muizenberg beach and called her two sisters to join us. My wife had to take her mother to hospital at the same time and could not be there.
But the positive outcome of this bad news was that I got to spend a beautiful morning with the most important three young women in my life at one of my favourite beaches.
We agreed to do the operation to remove the prostate on Wednesday, 1 November 2023.
The next few weeks were filled with research, exercise, physiotherapy and psychological therapy in preparation for what would be life-changing surgery. I also had to consult a dietitian to ensure that I was the proper weight before the operation.
The doctor sent me a list of former patients who I could consult, and I discovered at least 10 people I knew on the list. But I had no idea that they had dealt with similar issues.
On one of my visits to the physiotherapist, we spoke about how men don’t speak about health and other important life matters, but it was important because other men can learn from your experience.
The visits to the physio were mainly to help me prepare for life after the operation when the doctor warned me I would have problems controlling my bladder, in some cases for as long as a year. The physiotherapist taught me Kegel exercises to help me control the bladder. The other side effect of the operation would be on sexual performance, the doctor had said, but that was of less importance to me at the age of 63.
I researched extensively and spoke to many friends who had similar procedures. It was important for me to know that I had made the right decision. At some point, I had to stop researching and thinking and make a decision.
It was clear to me that the solution was robotic surgery – where a robot makes a few incisions on your body, with a bigger incision through which the organ is removed.
The operation itself went off without any serious problems, but the days immediately after that were some of the worst that I have ever experienced in my life.
For the first few days, I had to wear a catheter, which meant urinating into a bag attached to my penis. It was as painful as it was humiliating. Fortunately, my wife acted as my nurse; otherwise, I have no idea how I would have survived.
After the catheter was removed, I had to wear a pad which could contain my urine when I lost control of my bladder, which happened regularly. The doctor had said that most patients took six months to stop wearing pads, while some wear them for a year. I lost the pads after less than a month.
But the bladder control has not always been good over the past year. I remember the first time I flew to Gauteng after about two months. I lost control of my bladder while still on the plane and had to replace my pants as soon as we landed. Fortunately, it has not happened again and I have had regular periods of two to three hours when I have not felt the need to go to the toilet. Regular toilet visits are, of course, something that becomes more necessary as one gets older.
The main discomfort after a few months was a nagging pain where the organ had been removed. This pain only disappeared after nine months. The other discomfort relates to sexual performance, which I have learned to live with. If it improves, which it appears to be, it will be a bonus, but if it doesn’t, I will learn to live with that.
The urologist confirmed at my three-monthly and now six-monthly check-ups after the operation that the cancer remains “undetectable”, which I understand to mean that it has left my body, but clearly, the doctor needs to protect himself in case it comes back.
I have done a lot of reflection over the past year, valuing every minute I am still allowed on earth. I have decided that I need to focus on myself more instead of continuously working. I am determined to enjoy as much of the beauty of our wonderful country as I can, and I will strive for the perfect balance between the need to work and the need to live.
I have learned to accept that my life and my body will never be the same again. Yes, the cancer is, for all intents and purposes, gone. But the discomfort after the operation will be with me for a long time. The reality of having, and possibly defeating, cancer will be with me forever.
- Ryland Fisher is a veteran journalist and editor.
(First published by News24 on Friday, 1 November 2024)
