My "illness" was the subject of much speculation last year and it is time to set the record straight. I have prostate cancer. It was deemed  to be advanced, active and potentially life-threatening if left untreated so I decided to keep it under wraps, only family and close friends, until I knew the possible outcome. Please understand that this was something that I had to deal with on my own. Those who knew  were sworn to secrecy and their support during treatment helped me through especially Damian, Jane and Kevin who took turns to drive me to and from the treatments. To say it has been a "worry" would be an understatement. It has been a difficult time for all.

 

I thought I was Superman. Nothing seemed to affect me. I rarely went to the doctor but last August I was experiencing such painful stomach cramps, sometimes during shows, that I had to seek medical help. I had to cancel a show mid-September to have some rather invasive tests and got more than I bargained for. I went in with stomach-ache and came out with cancer! I now believe I was very lucky. The meeting with the  consultant felt like "white-noise" in my ears but I got the gist and by the time I got home, things had sunk in so I set about researching  

the disease. It seems, like Superman, testosterone was my kryptonite!  I thrive on data and as such found there were many treatments out there but after consultation with specialists in Germany and UK, it  soon proved that only one was really suitable for me. Ultimately it was an easy decision, one of the best treatment centres, the Bristol Oncology Unit, was, on a good day, only 45 minutes drive from my home. So I joined the program.

 

The treatment started with a course of hormones which ran from October 2009 through to January 2010 to be followed by a fairly new type of  Radio-Therapy, 5 days a week, in February and March. This allowed me to play all the shows last year thus quashing the rumour mongering. I greatly appreciate the concern and get-well messages I received but the music business is not known for compassion so when the vultures started circling, we all felt that secrecy was justified. The treatment has had a debilitating effect, extreme tiredness being the most obvious but I have come through and getting better daily. My latest test result shows that I am clear, in remission, the other "C"  word, "Cure", cannot be used for quite some time, if ever. I am forever in the Bristol Unit's debt.

 

My band, crew and agent have been fantastic. We decided not to cancel any shows which gave me something to aim for with my recovery. They  have done really well on the couple of shows I have missed and I will be back permanently in a couple of weeks. Your understanding is much  

appreciated.

 

The best things in life are free, so the song goes, but it is true. I will never take things for granted again and I urge everyone, live each day as if it is the last. It is not a rehearsal!

 

Now comes the message for all guys over 50 - go get a PSA test asap! Don't wait for symptoms because that could be too late - I had no symptoms. My PSA was 20, it is now 0.5. If my tumour had been found earlier the treatment would have been easy. Please do it.

 

Thank you and see you on the road soon.

 

Andy

 

7th May 2010