Amardeep’s story – how Penny Brohn wellbeing therapies supported him through his prostate cancer journey

"I’d been actively looking after myself for the last 10 years, going to the gym 3 – 4 times a week, having sessions with a personal trainer. I didn’t take it too seriously; it was more about having an outlet after a stressful day at work and making sure I have a better chance of a smooth run into later life.

I was at the gym one day, and a friend was talking about a blood test he’d had that could tell you all sorts of things about your health. Being 51 at the time, I thought I should at least get my cholesterol checked, so having private healthcare through work, I checked to see what I was eligible for. 

Due to COVID restrictions at the time, I discovered I could get a free blood test through the post. When it arrived, I had a video call where they told me how to prick my finger and get the blood sample into the vial and send it off. The lady I spoke to was great and mentioned that if I wanted, I could get a more advanced test that would cover more things, so I thought, ‘why not’. A few weeks later I went to have my bloods taken and didn’t think anything of it other than it was something I’d be able to chat to my friend about at the gym.  

My results were sent through by email soon after and highlighted I had a PSA level of 47. I didn’t know what that meant but I was advised I should speak to my GP, who told me the next step was to get some more tests done so we could see what we were dealing with.

Things took off quite quickly from there. After another PSA blood test, I had an MRI scan and then a biopsy which confirmed I had prostate cancer, but thankfully it hadn’t spread. Both my wife and I were flummoxed as I hadn’t really noticed any symptoms other than very minor things like my urine flow was a bit lower and I’d had aches and pains in my hips, but I run so I’d dismissed that as being exercise related.

Initially, treatment discussions were centred around having surgery, but my consultant was keen that I also spoke to an oncologist, so I understood all the treatment options available to me and knew about their clinical benefits. My case was reviewed by a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) and because my cancer was considered high risk, although surgery would remove my prostate, it was still likely I’d need some radiotherapy afterwards. Considering I was young, fit and healthy it was agreed I would be better off not having surgery and having radiotherapy instead.

My treatment started in February 2022 at GenesisCare in Birmingham. All my appointments were booked in advance, and I had a driver that picked me up every day, waited for me whilst I had my treatment, and then took me home. That was incredible and gave me one less thing to worry about. As soon as I stepped into that car, I felt I was with my GenesisCare family.