“I was not too keen on radiation treatment and I decided that if I was to have surgery then I should have it as soon as possible. I discussed all of this with my wife and she agreed. Both she and my grown up children were upset by the news,” he said.

He met with a second physician who detailed the benefits and drawbacks of each option. When the doctor said he could perform the surgery in almost a week, Mike decided to have his prostate removed. Because he lacked medical insurance, he used savings to help pay for the surgery. He underwent the procedure in August of last year.

However, Mike faced even more challenges ahead. “If anything, the operation was the easy part,” he said.

For the next two and a half months, Mike struggled with an inability to urinate, returning to the hospital four times for catheter insertions and laser treatment. Finally, after a number of minor operations and catheter treatments, this problem was resolved.

Perhaps even more difficult, he said, was the uncertainty he faced after the procedure. Mike had gone into the operation assuming he would likely be cancer-free once the prostate was removed. So, he was distressed to learn afterwards that, because the malignant cells had overtaken 10 percent of the prostate, there was a chance the cancer had spread to nearby parts of his body.

“They told me that the cancer may not be confined to the prostate. This was probably the most devastating thing for me to hear, and I was extremely upset,” he said. “They said we’ve done this procedure, but it may not have worked. So, I’d gone through all this, and it was like somebody had cut my leg off. I’d expected everything to be over, but it wasn’t.”

To determine whether or not the surgery had eradicated the cancer, Mike would need to take blood tests one month, three months and six months after the procedure to gauge his PSA levels. The eternal optimist, Mike decided to remain upbeat and envisioned each of three tests coming back with a reading of 0.1ng/ml — a sign that would indicate the cancer was no longer in his body.

“I told all my friends and my family about the situation,” he said. “I decided it was going to be less than 0.1 and told them, ‘I want you to believe that,’ and they all came back to me saying, ‘Yes, you’re going to do it!”.

To further buoy his spirits, Mike wrote on a piece of paper “This cancer no longer exists.” He carried this note wherever he went, glancing at it whenever he thought about the situation.

“You have to dispel all negative thoughts. You have to believe that everything is going to be alright,” he said.

Each of the three tests came back negative. More than six months after his operation, Michael is now cancer free.

“It’s difficult when you’re sick. You’ve got to have help from other people,” he said. “I had the help from family and friends backing me up. And I’m sure that did the trick. I just believe if you can remain positive, there’s this external energy that can help.”

After making a recovery, Mike took part in Cancer Fund’s fundraising walkathon ‘Stride for a Cure’ last November, carrying out the hike blindfolded and guided by friends. In raising money for cancer research, he wanted to draw attention to the importance of cancer awareness.

“Since recovering I don’t think about cancer that often, certainly I believe the prostate cancer has gone, but I’m more careful about my living, eating and drinking habits to try to prevent other forms of the disease attacking me,” he said.

“My suggestions and advice for others is that most forms of cancer can be treated, certainly if caught early enough. So, medical checks and tests are essential on a regular basis, as one gets older,” he added. “Also try to remain positive. It’s difficult when you’re sick or ill, but I am sure that ‘mind over matter’ really helps to improve your quality of life and how you approach your illness; think positively and remain grateful.”