The long term outcomes since my radical prostatectomy are very good, particularly from the point of view that my cancer is still undetectable on my regular checkups. In my quality of life there have been clear losses and gains. To get a feel of how things are now, I invite you to watch this short video recorded this morning.

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Outer reality: new home, new body

Since I last made a video, I have moved home from Johannesburg to Toronto – where I am lucky enough to live close to Lake Ontario – which you see in the background above. The speed with which we’ve moved continents is a bit like the speed with which surgery removed my cancer and returned me to overall good physical health. And the new realities are of cold winters, and a body that is differently able than it was.

Inner reality: recovery vs adaptation

The young man in me just wants to get it all back, particularly regarding sexual function. But as my wonderful friend in Shanghai said this morning, there is a wisdom about making peace with our bodies as they are now. So I recognise that even though this website is called “recovering man” – it is really more about people adapting to, and making peace with, new realities.

The shift in inner reality is profound. The hard wiring in me is very strongly attached to my old being. Yet after four years, the new accepting me guides my life in very good ways.

Related posts – annual milestones