Athlone man aims to raise prostate health awareness following recent cancer diagnosis

A 49-year-old Athlone man has said the money he paid for a blood test in June was "the best investment I’ve ever made in my health" following a recent prostate cancer diagnosis.

John Tiernan this week highlighted the need for men in their forties to have their general health checked if they feel "exhausted" and "their body is not as it should be".

Tiernan, from Hodson Bay, was speaking during Movember, a global movement held every November to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues like prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Following the death of his father, John, from lung cancer in March, John focused on the post-funeral family practicalities on behalf of his mother, "paying bills, looking after pension payments, all the small but necessary tasks that follow a funeral".

A regular gym user, John was "extremely fit" yet felt "exhausted", a level of tiredness which did not seem to abate.

"Following dad's passing, this level of fatigue only seemed to get worse. Initially, I put it down to grief, but I knew my own body and this did not feel right by any means," John said.

John, who is a father to three sons, Dan (30), Jack (22) and Oisin (20), booked a bloods test in an Athlone drop-in clinic, ensuring a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels check was part of the process.

A PSA test measures the amount of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland, in the blood, and is primarily used to help screen for prostate cancer.

"Like many Irish men, I’m not quick to run to the doctor. At 49 and generally very fit, I wasn’t sure a PSA would be offered in routine GP care, and I’d previously had Lyme disease, something that could easily have sent the investigation in another direction. With cancer fresh in my mind after losing my father, a voice in my head said, include PSA," John added.

Within 48 hours of having the blood test, John received the results and his initial intuition proved correct, "my PSA was flagged".

"I went straight to my GP, who asked if I had private health insurance, thankfully I had. I was referred to the Galway Clinic," John added.

There, John had a biopsy which revealed a "number of anomalies". "I was told I had prostate cancer," he explained.

John, who works as a qualified fire engineer with Phoenix STS in Longford, is scheduled to have a prostatectomy on November 26.

"It will be a robotic assisted procedure, the prostate will be completely removed and I will start my recovery process immediately," John stated.

While John will have to contend with the post operation side effects, he is yet unaware if additional treatment will be required.

However, "positive by nature", John remains optimistic of a return to good health in due course.

"Looking back, the money I paid for that blood test was the best investment I’ve ever made in my health. Without it, I might have waited and waited while things got worse.

"My message is simple, if you are in your late forties and something feels off, talk to your GP about your prostate health and whether a PSA test is right for you.

"Ireland doesn’t run a national PSA screening programme; decisions are made between you and your GP based on risks, benefits, and your own circumstances. Awareness matters, and acting early is vital," John concluded.