Aged 71 years, ex British Army, 12 years Royal Military Police, Gurkha Military Police, six and a half years Active Service, Malaya, Singapore, Borneo and Malaysia. Migrated to Australia 1970 and took up middle management and then senior management roles with major retailers’ and an International Hotel group. My disciplines included: physical and procedural security, human resources and industrial relations, crisis management, and internal audit. I left the corporate life to start my own crisis management consultancy, acting for and on behalf of national governments in the Asia Pacific region and also, multinational companies, globally.

Semi-retired in 1989 with major health issues. Retired fully in 1995.

I survived kidney cancer in 1995, two skin melanomas, gall bladder removal, thyroid goiter, five skin carcinomas, acute vein thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, frank haematuria, cholestiatoma (L) ear and a few more bits in between.

My survival I attribute to a very loving and supportive wife of fifty years, a very supportive adult family and being bloody minded enough, and obstinate enough, to want to battle cancer in my own way.

When my doctor told me in 2000 that I had twelve months to live with metastatic lung and liver cancer I didn’t believe him and declined all treatment. But I did develop my own remedies as a precaution. And now nine years after, I am living proof of his error of judgment.

In late May of 2006, I was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer and again decided, with my wife’s loving concurrence, not to expose myself to clinical experimentation from radiation, chemicals and potent drugs currently used in conventional medical treatments and instead, rely heavily, if not solely, on alternative, or natural, therapies.

During the course of my research on the www, I came across many stories from individuals who had experienced cancer and had, by no small measure, beaten it. But all the tales were post event; none described the experience as it evolved. That got me to thinking about doing my own journal, in the form of a blog. My rationale being two-fold. Firstly, it would greatly assist me in handling my dilemma on a day to day basis in a more informed, considered and orderly manner and secondly, perhaps my blog would help others facing the same problems, and in their quest for answers. I certainly hope so.

I guess part of my philosophical direction is very much about being in control of my own destiny, for better or for worse. I can’t bare the thought of handing over that control to a group of medical people, being just one of a number passing through their doors each day and for whom I represent little more than a nice fat bill at the end of it all. That’s not meant as a criticism, just reality talking.

So many patients I have met, corresponded with or have read about, simply handed over the responsibility for their future well-being, and in many cases their very existence, to their doctor, thereby abdicating any future responsibility for a satisfactory outcome. And there is no doubt in my mind that for many of them, it has been a recipe for an early demise.

Moreover, as far as prostate cancer goes, the statistics clearly show that there is little extra longevity to be gained, between watchful waiting and surgical intervention. The main difference it seems to me is that in the former, one is able to ultimately die quietly, with dignity and in good humour, and in the latter, totally debilitated, saturated with medically induced poisons, in pain and with considerable suffering. I am mindful too that the medical profession is apt to over diagnose prostate cancer and for many men, treatment is not only unnecessary – it is counter-productive.

Doctors all too often talk, or rather boast, about their cancer patients having died of some other cause and not the cancer per se. But not only does this skew cancer death statistics, it also does not identify with the fact that the patient’s immune system is so badly compromised by the cancer treatment, he/she inevitably succumbs to the first disease or bout of illness they are subjected to.

I do hope that you will find my blog both informative and instructive. Your comments will be very welcome. You can place comments on the blog, or, send me an email, at: prostateruminat@optusnet.com.au/