Mr Richard Turner 2016-09-08 Person 5 5 0

In April 2016 I accompanied my partner to see her doctor as she was going through a difficult time. As I sat in the waiting room I watched a video about the symptoms of prostate cancer, and immediately made an appointment to see my own GP. A blood sample was taken and confirmed my PSA was 62. I spent an afternoon in Westmorland General on my birthday, and had a biopsy taken. Two weeks later it was revealed that 11 of the 12 samples taken were cancerous and I was told it may have spread to one of my lymph nodes and that the tumour may have spread outside the prostate, but this was yet to be confirmed. When my Urology Consultant confirmed the diagnosis my partner did not take this very well and she felt that our lives would change with this cloud hanging over us for some considerable time. The Consultant was busy and had little time to answer our questions so he passed us on to Richard, who took his time to explain the issues, the prognosis and what would happen next. He spent over half an hour with us and provided many leaflets, sketches and booklets on prostate cancer, and what we should expect. Following this tremendous shock, our lives have changed and not a minute goes by when one of us thinks about the future and what this may bring. I do not want anyone at work to know and I have limited this information to only 3 members of my family and a couple of close neighbours. I had a second appointment with the Consultant and left this appointment slightly confused (most likely because I went alone). A few weeks went by following this appointment and reading information about prostate cancer in a recent press article and the life expectancy deemed low and coupled with pressures of work, both my partner and I felt that we needed to talk to someone to alleviate our worries and to clarify the prognosis. I rang Richard and we arranged to meet. Even though he has a very busy schedule he spent 45 minutes with us. He listened to our concerns and signposted us to a level 4 counselling opportunity being piloted in Cumbria before it goes national. On top of this stressful situation I also had some other non related symptoms and there was potentially some dilemma that the cancer had spread to another organ. (Only yesterday I had it confirmed that it was not related, and not cancer.) A huge relief. I generally take a no nonsense approach to life and am extremely focussed, but on hearing the news that I had advanced prostate cancer I felt like my world had fallen apart. It was Richard who got my partner and myself back on track by his reassurance and acute knowledge of urology, oncology and issues relating to prostate cancer and that it was not all doom and gloom. At present we feel that we have been lifted and feel much more positive about the future.