At the beginning, (as the photographs above show), we stormed Chorleywood on a bright March '09 Saturday as it was Prostate Awareness Week and we had all been diagnosed at some time with aggressive 'Tiger' Prostate Cancer, yet had been spared Terminal Care Units - so far. We had had our lives extended and we wanted to get all men over 50 to visit their doctors on a yearly basis and to be thoroughly checked out for Tiger Cancer. If caught early, this is treatable but it is the biggest killer of non smoking men; over ten thousand in the UK and rising each year. It is the cause of intense grief and sorrow to tens of thousands who lose their husbands, fathers, brothers and friends.
Needlessly lost one could say; mainly because most men 'don't do' doctors, even when they have symptoms. Most commonly 'I can't go when I want to go,' or the African Elephant syndrome -yes they have misbehaving prostates too - 'The Leaky Dick' so when eventually they are diagnosed, its too late and the cancer has metastased into the bones.
The media coverage, feedback and donations from the people in shops and pubs and on the streets in Chorleywood was very positive and we decided to call ourselves the Friends of the Prostate (FOPs).
It was about then that we linked up with other prostate sufferers at the Rose and Crown and began talking through our experiences of diagnosis and treatment. Then men began to contact us and to talk through how they are dealing with the spectre of aggressive prostate cancer.
We were able to assign FOPs on a 'horses for courses' basis as by then we had some thirty men who had suffered a variety of treatments to 'face down the Tiger'. There was always a suitable FOP available to empathise and console a fellow sufferer.
It was David who said "I am not a friend of the prostate, I hated my prostate BEFORE it was removed". He had a point! So we then decided to become the FOPS or Friends of Prostate Sufferers - which indeed is what we are, what we are good at doing and what we will continue to do. We also have non-sufferers within our group who help us with fundraising, promotions etc.
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