Starting a family is a delicate time; you have to adapt to challenging new routines, teach yourself to balance your livelihood with parenthood, and be confident that you can provide for your new family unit. The last thing you want thrown into that mix is cancer. The last thing you expect, at that time in your life, is that it would be bladder cancer.
This was the challenge that Richard faced. At 36 he was starting to adjust to his new role as a father when, in 2013, he noticed blood in his pee.
It was originally chalked up as a side effect of his marathon running and dismissed, but when the blood returned with a vengeance in 2016, he was referred to Mr Philip Charlesworth, a Consultant Urological Surgeon with an expertise in bladder and prostate conditions, who diagnosed bladder cancer.
What is it like to receive a bladder cancer diagnosis?
“It was a bit of a shock, particularly given that bladder cancer patients are usually a lot older than me.
“My wife had broken her ankle a few months back, so she had been reliant on me to take care of the kids and ferry them about; it was a hard time to find out that I was now at the start of a really serious illness.
“Still, it’s better to have found out and be taking action to deal with the problem than to remain blissfully unaware. It’s also very reassuring to be in the hands of a specialist like Philip, who really knows what he’s doing.”
Introducing Mr Philip Charlesworth
Mr Charlesworth is the bladder cancer lead for Berkshire and South Oxfordshire, a position he has held since shortly after he arrived back from Los Angeles in 2013 where, thanks to funding from TUF, he had received training from one of the world’s foremost robotic surgeons, and experts in bladder cancer.
Mr Charlesworth is the bladder cancer lead for Berkshire and South Oxfordshire, a position he has held since shortly after he arrived back from Los Angeles in 2013 where, thanks to funding from TUF, he had received training from one of the world’s foremost robotic surgeons, and experts in bladder cancer.
“The training I received from TUF has totally transformed how we treat patients in our region. Before I received the training we were performing predominantly open surgery, with robotic surgery only for prostate cancer. Now we perform over 250 robotic operation per year, including complex reconstructive operations, for example the formation of a new bladder using the patient’s own bowel, all done entirely robotically.
“Perhaps most importantly for our patients, their quality of life returns to pre-operation levels rapidly, and the long-term side effects of surgery are minimised. It is very pleasing as a cancer Surgeon to be in a position to see our patients leave us with every chance at a normal life.”
Did Philip’s training make a difference?
This is what Richard thought,
“Philip has such a reassuring air about him; bladder cancer has been and continues to be a daunting experience for me, but knowing that I’m in the hands of someone who has received such expert training has been a big relief. I have 100% confidence in him.
“I’m very grateful for the work that Philip has done to enable me to continue a normal life and to be given the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with my lovely family.”
Being diagnosed in his 30s makes Richard very young for a bladder cancer patient and Mr Charlesworth, thanks to his training in LA when he was in his 30’s, is very young for an experienced bladder cancer surgeon. This uniquely young pairing are both keen supporters of TUF, and are hoping to fundraise for TUF in the near future by running a marathon together.
Blood in pee is the most common symptom for bladder cancer. If you’ve seen blood in your pee, see your GP right away.
If you’d like us to continue investing in doctors like Mr Charlesworth, you can donate today.
