25 March 2022
Peter Casey is a prostate cancer survivor and an integral part of the Central Coast Prostate Cancer Support Group, supported by his wife Vicki. We recently caught up with Peter to find out more about his story.
Peter was diagnosed with prostate cancer about four years ago, at age 64.
“My GP ordered a blood test around mid-2017 and when I went to see him to get the results, he didn’t mention the PSA, but said he’d do a follow up later in the year – clearly he was concerned about it – and good on him too!”
Another PSA test followed, then scans, and a biopsy, and his specialist confirmed the news.
“I was in a daze after being told the news. I am ever grateful that I had my wife Vicki with me because I still don’t recall a lot of the conversation with the urologist that day.”
About a month later Peter had a radical prostatectomy. Just before his surgery, he connected with his local Prostate Cancer Support Group.
“Going to the meeting before my op was reassuring. I recall one member saying that he had been diagnosed 15 years before and it hadn’t got him yet, so thought there was some hope that it wouldn’t get me as well. This was good as what I needed the most at that time was reassurance along with the amazing support from Vicki, who's been my rock throughout this journey.”
Not too long after surgery, Peter’s PSA went up, requiring hormone therapy and radiation therapy, and then it went down, and then it went up again, with Peter now scheduled to see his oncologist in early April to agree on how they’ll tackle it.
“It's been a very busy four years since I was diagnosed but I do feel like I’m coming out the other side now and if I do happen to need more treatment in the future, then with the knowledge I’ve gained about prostate cancer from being involved in the group and writing our newsletter, plus all the support I’ve received, I know I’ll be in a better place than I was when I was first diagnosed.
“If I could offer any advice to men who are already on, or just commencing, their journey, it’s this: Although we are all on the same road, each man’s journey is his own, but it’s a journey, not a destination.
“Over the last four years I’ve been able to tap into many parts of the PCFA Support Network and I’ve found strong benefit from being part of our local Prostate Cancer Support Group.
“Someone was talking to me recently about the future of our local Support Group and asked me what I actually got from the Group. I thought about it for a while and though I could have listed off quite a number of things, in the end I have to say that the overwhelming benefit, although it’s my journey, is simply this – I know I’m not alone.”
