On a personal Note
Dear KuierKos family,
This November, with Movember putting the spotlight on men’s health, I want to share something personal with our South African community.
Three months ago, at the age of 52, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It came as a shock. I felt healthy, I was working, running KuierKos with Marnella, and getting on with normal life. I did not have the typical symptoms that would have made me think, “I should get my prostate checked.”
What picked it up was my PSA blood test.
Further tests confirmed prostate cancer. The very good news is that scans found no spread to other parts of my body, and my doctors are treating me with the intention of curing it. I am currently undergoing treatment at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital in Amsterdam.
I am sharing this because prostate cancer is not some unusual disease that happens to somebody else.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in both South Africa. According to CANSA, approximately 1 in 17 men will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime.
And yet we South African men are very good at talking about rugby, braais, work and everything else while avoiding conversations about our own health.
So this Movember, I have one request:
Know your PSA.
A PSA test is a simple blood test. It cannot by itself tell you whether you have prostate cancer, and an elevated PSA does not automatically mean cancer. But it can be an important starting point for a conversation with your doctor about your individual risk and whether further investigation is appropriate.
If you’re around 50, or younger with increased risk such as a close family history of prostate cancer, speak to your huisarts or doctor about whether PSA testing is appropriate for you.
Fortunately, my cancer was detected early enough for my doctors to treat it with the aim of curing it.
I’m not sharing this because I want sympathy. Marnella and I have received tremendous support, and we are approaching the next few months positively.
I’m sharing it because if telling my story gets even a few of the men in our KuierKos community to have that conversation with their doctor, then something useful can come from what we’ve been through.
So during Movember, talk to your husband, your dad, your brother, your friend or your braai mate.
Ask him one simple question: “Do you know your PSA?”
And from me personally: thank you for being part of the KuierKos family.
Andreas
This November, with Movember putting the spotlight on men’s health, I want to share something personal with our South African community.
Three months ago, at the age of 52, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It came as a shock. I felt healthy, I was working, running KuierKos with Marnella, and getting on with normal life. I did not have the typical symptoms that would have made me think, “I should get my prostate checked.”
What picked it up was my PSA blood test.
Further tests confirmed prostate cancer. The very good news is that scans found no spread to other parts of my body, and my doctors are treating me with the intention of curing it. I am currently undergoing treatment at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital in Amsterdam.
I am sharing this because prostate cancer is not some unusual disease that happens to somebody else.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in both South Africa. According to CANSA, approximately 1 in 17 men will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime.
And yet we South African men are very good at talking about rugby, braais, work and everything else while avoiding conversations about our own health.
So this Movember, I have one request:
Know your PSA.
A PSA test is a simple blood test. It cannot by itself tell you whether you have prostate cancer, and an elevated PSA does not automatically mean cancer. But it can be an important starting point for a conversation with your doctor about your individual risk and whether further investigation is appropriate.
If you’re around 50, or younger with increased risk such as a close family history of prostate cancer, speak to your huisarts or doctor about whether PSA testing is appropriate for you.
Fortunately, my cancer was detected early enough for my doctors to treat it with the aim of curing it.
I’m not sharing this because I want sympathy. Marnella and I have received tremendous support, and we are approaching the next few months positively.
I’m sharing it because if telling my story gets even a few of the men in our KuierKos community to have that conversation with their doctor, then something useful can come from what we’ve been through.
So during Movember, talk to your husband, your dad, your brother, your friend or your braai mate.
Ask him one simple question: “Do you know your PSA?”
And from me personally: thank you for being part of the KuierKos family.
Andreas