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Tomorrow morning I’m having reconstructive surgery, that will take me out of action for a couple of weeks. Because I want to encourage people to talk openly about their health, I’m going to share the gory details. Readers of a sensitive disposition should look away now.
As a result of cancer surgery last year, and various subsequent procedures, my urethra is badly scarred. On many days I can scarcely pee. For much of the past year I’ve had to catheterise myself every few days. This has caused a series of infections, that have laid me out.
Tomorrow, the surgeon will remove part of the lining of my cheek and use it to replace part of the lining of my urethra. It’s a long and delicate operation and, with an 80-90% success rate, something of a medical miracle.
Afterwards, I’ll have to stay pretty still for a couple of weeks, to allow the graft to take. I struggle to stay still for 5 minutes, especially in May, so it will be an interesting challenge.
It’s no one’s idea of fun. But it would be many times worse if we didn’t have the NHS. Otherwise I’d have had to sell my house by now. I’m afraid I’ve cost you all quite a lot over the past year.
The reason for sharing the details is this. A lot of people, especially men, are painfully shy about discussing their medical conditions. As a result, they often remain untreated, sometimes with dire consequences. I want us all to overcome this shyness.
Let us banish all shame and embarrassment from both physical and mental health conditions, whatever they may be. Let us discuss them as freely as we discuss the weather. Open talk saves lives.
Thank you everyone for your very kind messages. There's loads of evidence showing that if someone feels well-supported, they recover better. I feel it!
