Richard's story

Okay, we all know that we're not going to live forever. Even so, being diagnosed with prostate cancer still came as a complete shock. I had my prostate surgery in April 2011 and everything went really well. In the beginning after the surgery I had to use a catheter. It was a bit messy so when it was taken out I met a urologist, to talk about how to get back to normal life as soon as possible.

The prostate removal surgery had weakened my pelvic floor muscles, which meant I couldn't stop the flow of urine in the beginning after the surgery. I was recommended exercise and to use protectors designed specifically for men. It felt a bit odd to put on at first, but they were very discreet. Even though the protectors weren't noticeable I decided to be very open about it.

In life, I've learned that people take cues from you. If you seem relaxed and open about things, people respond in a similar fashion. Having said that, I don't exactly advertise my condition, but when it comes up I try not to seem embarrassed. I portray it as a fact of life that I just have to deal with.

I've made sure to do my exercises and I've become my own personal trainer. And the hard work has paid off. I wouldn't say that it's a fast recovery but since I'm still making progress I keep going. My goal is to manage 3-4 hours without having to go, and to get by without using protectors. There's still some work to do, but all in all it feels good to have gotten many parts of my life back.