My name is Sasi Dharan. Today I am 68 years old with a family (wife and three children). This is my prostate cancer survival story.

It was in late December 2017 while in India on a holiday, I realised something was amiss. I felt my urine flow was slow and it was feeling very sticky. I thought it was because it was due to the less water intake and dismissed any further actions. That was actually my first red flag.

After arriving to Malaysia everything appeared normal when suddenly I had on a few occasions of the sudden urgency to urinate, sometimes wetting my pants! (Note: I have a habit of holding back my urinating and often choose to use only clean toilets). This occurrence was in Mid-January 2018. This was my second indicator1

I confided to a close friend about my urinating issue, and he scolded me for being foolish not to urinate on a timely basis. I listened to my friend’s advice and did the urinating whenever nature calls. All seemed fine momentarily …

In the following month (February), my urine flow became slow. Finally, I decided to seek proper medical help. I had an appointment with a general practitioner and was advised to do a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. The PSA result came out with an 82 reading. The doctor advised me to see an urologist but I wanted to see if I could do anything on my own. I talked to another friend<and he advised me to take virgin olive oil three times a day.

Everything appeared normal, but I felt uneasy with the 82 PSA result. I did another PSA test, and the result was 72. This prompted me to see a urologist.

Urologist inputs, tests done and treatment advise

I got to know that I was having cancer of the prostate on my 29th wedding anniversary date! What a gift – the final blow.

I then wanted to know what was the cancer spread.

This prostate cancer revelation was like a nightmare revisited … I had a similar experience when I was the first person in my family to know that my late father had cancer of the rectum many years ago.

The whole world seemed to crumble on me. I was thinking about my family. How are they going to cope with this unwanted news.

TRUS Biopsy of the prostate was done, and conclusion was I had cancer stage 4 with Gleason score 4+5. Further tests such as Pelvis MRI, F-18FDG Pet CT whole body and NM total Body Bone were done and the conclusion was my cancer had metastasised to the bones.

I learned later that the Ga68-PSMA was a better equipment compared to the FDG scan. This Ga68-PSMA was not available in this hospital while some other hospitals had such equipment. I felt disappointed that the doctor should have clarified and informed me of the Ga68-PSMA performance and capability in the beginning. In hindsight, I should have checked with other doctors or survivors on best advice and information.

Based on the report, I consulted with another four oncologists (2 from government & 2 from private). All told me the same treatment plan for my prostate cancer …

I had hormonal treatment (Lucrin) and Zometa (for bone strengthening) every 3 months for a year and chemo for 6 cycles every 3 weeks. I opted to do away with hormonal treatment after one year by undergoing orchidectomy surgery.

Some days I would cry to myself and sometimes very openly. Luckily, I had very close friends and family that kept on encouraging me to fight this cancer battle.

The treatments and PSA results seem effective. It is now more than 6 years and I am leading a normal balanced life.

I hope by sharing my prostate cancer journey that any newly diagnosed patients with similar prostate cancer condition will benefit from this. Some of my experiences are below.

What I would do prior each cycle of chem

I know for a fact that there will be hair loss during each chemo. To be proactive, I would shave off my hair so that I will not be depressed seeing hair fall. We also know that our immunity will be low during each cycle of chemo. To overcome this, I would take Manuka honey 2 teaspoons per day and lemon juice daily in the morning

What I would do during my chemo cycle

During each chemo I would remain positive that the medicine is curing me. I would remain focus on this and will be hearing to mantras during the whole process. Once the chemo is over I will drive back home on my own. I didn’t want to be dependent on others from the start.

What I would do after each chem

For the first ten days of each chemo, I would try to isolate myself from family and friends. I would drink 3 liters of water each day for the first 3 days. I will avoid red meat and only consume fully cooked fish and plenty of vegetables. I would have daily concoction of juice using cucumber, celery, green apple and podina once a day. I would go for a walk for at least 20 minutes daily. I would also try cooking. I noticed that during the cooking process my mind is fully focused on cooking and nothing else. This cooking and walking work as a therapy. 

One more thing is that after each chemo I would develop haemorrhoid. This started  from my second round of chemo. I had no previous haemorrhoid episodes. On  seeing the oncologist, they would prescribe antibiotics and this seem effective.

Appreciation

One thing for sure, I may not have recovered if not for my family, friends and relatives who have encourage me throughout my journey. My spiritual belief in God also became much stronger too.

What I do nowadays

I will go for my daily walk, first ten minutes with my dogs and balance 30 minutes on my own most of the days. In addition, I go for yoga once a week. I take everything moderately – food to drinks. My other routine is to cook at least once a week.

I will also make sure that I do not miss any of my hospital appointments and pay attention to my body for any changes. I have my PSA test at IKN now once every six months now. Previously was every 3 months. Last PSA reading was 0.128. Attached is my PSA trend.

I do some travelling and plan to do more in the near future. Last but not least support my favourite team Liverpool FC and live on the motto You Never Walk Alone (YNWA) and Always live with hope for a better tomorrow.