Doug's Story
No symptoms. No warning. Then everything changed.
Doug had no reason to think anything was wrong. No symptoms, no warning signs; nothing to suggest his whole life was about to change. What began as a routine diabetes check-up turned into a conversation no one wants to have.
It was like being smacked between the eyes with a brick. You're not expecting it. There were no symptoms. Then for someone to just turn around and say, ‘Yeah, you've got prostate cancer. Now go away and think about it.’”
At first, Doug thought the treatment would be the hardest part.
“I want it out. Get rid of it,” he remembers thinking.
But it wasn't that simple. After his initial treatment, things seemed to be improving. His PSA levels dropped, and life started to feel almost normal again.
It didn't last. When the cancer returned, Doug needed a new treatment, one that works by blocking the testosterone that feeds this type of cancer. It helped control the disease, but it came at a cost. Doug went from living a full, active life to struggling with something as simple as bending down to pick up a pen.
“I'd have to get down on my hands and knees to pick it up, and even getting back up was a struggle.”
That loss of strength hit hard, both physically and mentally.
Finding strength again
Through the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Doug was introduced to the Prost-FIT Programme. From his very first class, something shifted. Slowly, his strength began to return and his energy improved. And just as importantly, he found something he hadn't realised was missing: a group of men all going through the same thing.
“After class, when you're all knackered, we'd go for a coffee. Then the guys open up. It's great. You're not alone.”
After each Prost-FIT session, Doug could have a yarn about what was working, what wasn’t, and how to keep going. For the first time since his diagnosis, it didn’t feel like it was all on him.
Why your support matters
Support like this doesn't happen on its own. It's made possible by people who choose to stand alongside those diagnosed with cancer and the families going through it with them.
Doug's journey is a powerful reminder of why that support matters. This Dry July, when you choose to go alcohol-free, you're helping ensure people like Doug have access to the care, support, and community they need, not just to survive, but to truly thrive.
Go Dry this July and stand with Kiwis facing prostate cancer.
