“It was a very stressful time. But after having tests (my medical team) worked out that it wasn’t a problem with my heart again. The issue was that I was making myself so stressed about not being able to have the prostate operation, that I had developed an arrythmia. I knew I had cancer and I was stressing because I couldn’t have the proctectomy or radiation treatment to get rid of it,” says David.
In 2020, David underwent a prostatectomy at Greenslopes Hospital. The surgery was a success, however, a small amount of cancer had spread outside the prostate.
In 2021, David underwent radiation therapy at Icon Cancer Centre Springfield under the care of radiation oncologist, Dr Manoja Palliyaguru.
“The treatment I received at Icon Springfield was second to none. They couldn’t do enough for me. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Ringing the bell to mark my final treatment was a great feeling. That was a wonderful day. They also put the disco lights on in the treatment room on my final day, which was fabulous,” says David.
During his time at Icon Springfield, David connected with some of his fellow prostate cancer patients.
“I connected with people who were going through a similar journey. I got chatting to some of the other men while I was sitting in the waiting room before my treatment. After a few weeks of chatting, we realised how good it was to have others to chat to. We were all going through the journey of radiation therapy and talked about things like having a full bladder for treatment,” says David.
