Fifteen years ago my co Director and I decided to have a medical. He had been suffering from chest pains and I was fine but thought “if he's having one I may as well too”. I got a clean bill of health. Maybe I ought to lose half a stone or so but my cholesterol was low and all other functions were fine.

I mentioned to my doctor that I had noticed that my flow when I went for a pee had slowed quite a bit, enough for me to notice. He told me it was noting to worry about and wasn't unusual for a man of my age. I was 45years old.

Five years later I was under the knife. It came to head when I was having a pee in the toilets at my local pub. I was standing admiring the plaster work as I normally did when the door opened and an old man stumbled in with a zimmer walking frame. He stood next to me. We exchanged pleasantries. He saw to his todger had a pee, washed his hands and left. I was still standing peeing. I couldn't ignore it any longer.

My urologist told me I had thickening of the bladder neck and a section was cut out. It did the trick and I could pee right up against any wall of my choice. No mention was made of prostate problems or cancer and no tests were undertaken or checks made.

Move forward nine years and I am back at the same hospital with the same problem. I see the same urologist and he diagnoses thickening scar tissue as the problem. He sticks his finger up my bum and fiddles with my prostate. “No problem there” he tells me. “It is slightly swollen but it is nothing to worry about. The surface is smooth with no signs of any rough tissue”

He decides on a blood test where a psa reading can be taken. This test is far from accurate but can give a guide to potential problems as the psa level is normally raised in cases of prostate cancer. My level came back at 4.5, not particularly high as levels can be in the thousands, but high enough to warrant a biopsy.

I will not go into details of the biopsy procedure as it could put some men off. It is unpleasant but necessary. One week before Christmas 2009 I receive a call from the hospital. I am asked to come in at 8.15am the following day. She cannot tell me why but I realise it's not to tell me I have won the lottery. I am told the next day I have prostate cancer. He tells me I have 11% on side but the other is clear. He tells me it is absolutely nothing to worry about. It is low grade cancer. I could have had it years. I am much more likely to die with it than from it. I have three choices. Active surveillance, (do nothing and test again some time in the future) brachiotherapy or surgery. It is a no brainer. After all it is low grade, I could have had it years and I will probably die with it not from it.

Jump forward fifteen months to March this year. Another biopsy. I am prepared this time and my wonderful G.P. Prescribes me some happy pills. It still wasn't fun but I didn't care as much. The nurse pricks her own finger with the last sample causing mini chaos. I am back at the urologists three weeks later. I see his registrar, as he is too busy. I now have 23% on one side and the previous clear side has 14%. Nothing to worry about I am assured again. All three options are still open. I am referred to oncology in Bradford for consultation.

Brachiotherapy ( a more intense style of radiotherapy) is immediately ruled out as my consultant says I have a stricture and it would be possibly dangerous. Active surveillance is laughed at. My cancer has increased and the type changed to a more aggressive type. Surgery is the only sensible option. There are two types, conventional and robotic (Da Vinci). I am referred to St.James' in Leeds as that is the Davinci centre for my area.

Two weeks later I am with my new consultant. He has analysed all the results with his own team. Four out of five samples on one side of my prostate are cancerous and one out of five on the other. This means I have 80% cancer on one and 20% on the other, a slightly different diagnosis from two weeks earlier. I have two options, surgery or early death. I chose surgery as I had just bought new shoes and wanted at least some wear out of them.

Three months later I am recovering well. My point in writing this is, no matter how young you are, if you notice anything change about your normal toilet habits, go to your G.P. If you are not happy with what you are told, ask for a referral. If cancer is diagnosed at any stage, don't automatically go for the first option you think of and make sure you grill your consultant for the options. Had I opted for surgery first time around, I would have had spared both sets of nerves which support sexual function, not just one. It was too risky with my second diagnosis to leave both intact.

We are reminded, quite rightly, in the media about breast cancer in women and screenings

are available, at some considerable cost, for all women over 50. The cost to give a man a psa test is 75 pence. Ten thousand men die every year from prostate cancer and it is increasing, as well as affecting, younger men. It is no longer a disease of the old. Don't bugger about. Get tested.

p.s.

People. If you have a friend or relative diagnosed with cancer DON'T immediately tell them about someone you know who had this or that and this or that happened. We don't want to know!