A Mechanical Engineer who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 and has stopped working to dedicate his full time to treat his cancer.

Prior to my cancer being detected, I had very little knowledge on prostate cancer as I never did any medical tests on cancer. In 2015, I experienced serious lower back pains. After rounds of blood tests, imaging, and biopsy, I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer with lymph nodes and bone involvements. My PSA was > 1600 ng/ml at diagnosis with a Gleason score of 9.

Initially, I was totally shocked as there was no family history of cancer.

Family members were sad because they did not expect me to have succumbed to stage 4 prostate cancer at the “young” age of 48. Both of my children were still young and studying. Nevertheless, I am truly grateful to have a very supportive and loving family while undergoing treatments. They are my pillars of strength when facing my illness.

The cost of prostate cancer treatment is high particularly in the private hospitals. My medical insurance did help to cover some of the medical bills. To date, I have survived for 5 years and counting. I consider myself to be very fortunate and blessed. A key to combating this illness is to keep up the positive mindset, exercise regularly, and to never give up!