Everyone, this is a really special one for me. So if you're listening to the show a couple of weeks ago, I shared that my stepdad, Neil, is currently going through palliative care and that's because he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It has been it's been eight years now since he was diagnosed, and it's been such a journey and we're at the tail end of that. This is a discussion we had on the show a couple of weeks back.
By the time we found out about it as a family, it was already stage four prostate cancer.
And he's young, he's sixty five.
The reason why I wanted to talk about this is because if us speaking about it and saying, like, speak to your dad's about getting his prostate checked, speak to your husband about it, if that saves one family from going through what our family is going through, then this conversation is worthwhile.
And it was so nice of you to share that, Laura, because I imagine it's not easy, but it's such an important message at the same time.
Well, I mean for us, Like I didn't just want to share this to update you on what's happening in our household, like in our family tragedies. But the reason why I wanted to talk about this is because very often we don't speak about we don't speak about hard topics with our dads, especially especially when it comes to
things about prostate cancer. I would put money on it that very few people sitting in their cars or wherever you're listening to this right now, have ever caught up their dad and said, hey, dad, when did you last have your PSA tested? When did you last have your prostate checked? Because it's kind of awkward, it's weird, And that has been the most important thing to me is getting this message out that let's stop making it awkward.
Let's try and have these conversations with our dads, because it could absolutely save their life and it would mean that, you know, if it stops one family from being in the situation that we currently are with my stepdad, then it will have made all of the difference. And it was really vulnerable to have that conversation on a couple of weeks back. But we have received such an outpouring from you guys, from so many listeners who said that they went home that evening, they called their dads or
they sent them a text. And I'm so grateful to everybody who has done that, and I hope that we can keep spreading.
The words I did that.
I text my dad, text Mark CHERI, oh my dad, have you done it?
And he was great.
He's like no, it's a blood test now, and I'm like, I don't think it is. And he went called his doctor and he had another check up. Like all because of the conversation.
Yeah, my dad was the same Big Tones was like, yes, possum every two years, I've done it.
And I was like, wow, what are relief? A good dad, you know. But also we had the full spectrum.
We had some people message in saying that asked their dads, their dads had never been to go and get a test done. We had some people who whose dads are a bit like oh yeah, weird conversation, but you know, thanks sweetheart, Thanks Dalin for the for thinking of me.
I just went a couple of weeks ago.
But one of those, one of those people, one of those listeners who did have that conversation with their dad was Maddie and she gave us a call.
Maddie, welcome to the pickup.
I'm ad, Hey you go, how are you going?
We're good?
So you had this conversation with your dad after hearing Laws talking about her experience. Yeah.
Yeah, So I heard Laws talking about it and I was like, oh, I got to give that a call off work. So gave me bars and was just like, hey, heard this really is sad story on the radio, but like just making sure you've had into checks and hey, I don't know his typical man New sixties. And he was like, oh, I do want to talk about that, like you know, chip your nose out of it kind
of thing. And I was like come on, and my mum, good old mom, piped up and she was like, well, actually, I'm pretty sure you got that blood test form from the doctor like two months ago, and I'm pretty sure it's still sitting on the kitchen counter. And I was like, well, that's like it's such a typical dad thing. And I was like, well come on then, Dad, and I actually had a like my own blood test. I didn't get
my eye in checks, nothing too exciting. And I was like, come on tomorrow morning, I'm going to pick you up. We'll go get our blood tests on together and then we can go get grecky because they had to do like a fasting one we.
Wort a date for blood test.
Yeah, it was actually really nice. Like what means the blood test? B it's a blood test, but yeah, it was good and it forced him to do it. He got his results. They were all good, which is obviously great needs but it's like, what good is it sitting on the kitchen counter?
I know, And Maddie when you wrote that in like, I'm so grateful for you sharing that, because I would I dare say that there's so many men out there who have received their reminder and like, you know, oh, it's just it's not going to be me, so it's not that important. And then they put it, you know, on the back burner and then weeks turn into months, months turn into years, And that very much is the
situation with my stepdad. And I love that now it's something that you're able to talk about with your dad and it doesn't have to be a big deal.
It's just a blood test.
Yeah, But do you know what is another I feel like there's another message in this.
And I don't even know if you.
Realized you just said it, but you said, hey, have you had it done?
He was like, Oh, I'm not sure. Don't want to talk about it, and then your mom still wasn't even positive that that's what the blood test was.
She's like, oh, I think you have a referral for that. Like the fact that it is just not front and center on anyone's minds is something we also need to realize, Like we need to be so proactive with our own health, let alone, like you shouldn't have to look after someone else. But the fact that your mom was like, oh, that's right, Like I think that was something to do with prostate cancer.
Yeah, and also, men not up to the women in your life to remind you to get your blood test done. Got to be an advocate for your own health. Go get the test.
But you know what, statistically it's just not the case. We know that most men avoid going to the doctors and so and I really I cannot overstress this enough.
If you if you have a dad who you love, if you've got a husband and they're in that age range, like, please go home and have the conversation with them, because yeah, like I would hate for there to be another family in the situation that we're in, and statistically they will be and there are currently, So please speak to your dads, Speak to your husbands speak to your uncles.
Let's make this a normal conversation.
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