Fundraiser from Sowerby Bridge urges others to get tested after being diagnosed with prostate cancer

Paul Bottomley has been fundraising for 13 years with his wife Jane after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012.

Jane was given the all-clear in 2023 after 11 years of treatment, but Paul, 59, was diagnosed on Wednesday and has been advised to have his prostate removed.

"When I had my MRI scan, they rang me the day after and told me it was a grade four, which is the highest one, and then I had to have a biopsy to see what stage it's at," Paul said.

"They said I can either have radiotherapy or the full prostate taken away, but the consultant will push for it to be taken away, because at the moment it's contained.

"The only symptoms I had were having to get up for a pee probably three, four or five times a night, which has been going on for a couple of years but I just thought it was my age.

"I just got used to it so I just thought it was normal."

Paul said he went to get tested after a friend of his posted on social media about his experience of being diagnosed.

"My friend, who is a year younger than me, had it and posted about it on Facebook five weeks ago and said 'don't be embarrassed to go and get yourself checked'," Paul said.

"He's been diagnosed from a blood test, and I spoke to him and said 'I'm going to get mine tested'.

"I had it done when I was 50 but I don't think I had it done at 55.

"As soon as I told my doctor why I wanted to have it done, because I'm up five times in the night for a pee, they gave me a blood test.

"The morning after, they rang me and asked me to come straight down again because my results were abnormal.

"They checked my prostate and said 'we have a plan, it's going to be fast, it's going to be upsetting, but we have a plan, just follow it' and within three weeks, it's been diagnosed.

"I've never been in so much pain in my life, they had to inject into my groin, twice to numb it and the next two into the muscle."

Paul and Jane work together for WildAx Motor Homes in Elland.

"They've been absolutely brilliant, it's one big family," he said.

"The managers said 'if there's anything you need, in work, out of work, we're here', which made it a lot better for me."

Paul says he wants to encourage other men to be tested for prostate cancer, and that they shouldn't feel scared or embarrassed about doing so.

"You don't even have to be of a certain age, if you've any problems with broken sleep by getting up in the night for the toilet, or sometimes you're struggling to pee and there's nothing coming out, get yourself checked," he said.

"The embarrassment is worth your life. I'd have been walking round for the next two years without even knowing and it would have been too late.

"There's so many men walking round with prostate cancer and they don't know until it's too late.

"I'm upset, I've got so much going through my mind, especially because of all the fundraising I've done with Jane, and now Jane's looking after me.

"I've spent 13 years looking after Jane, she's doing absolutely brilliant now.

"I'm friends with all the Macmillan nurses we've raised money for, and I've had so many amazing messages from them.

"I've done all this work, but it doesn't matter who you are, what race you are, it can happen to anyone. It doesn't discriminate.

"I want people to learn and get educated because it can happen to absolutely anyone.

"You feel awkward because you get moved around, they go into your private areas, but they've seen it all before.

"I was embarrassed when I went in because I had a gown on and nothing underneath, and I had to lift my privates up when they injected underneath, but I would never be embarrassed again.

"I want other people not to feel embarrassed because they're trying to make you better.

"I've gone from a normal life to it completely changing within three weeks, and you get pulled from pillar to post for test after test after test, but the doctors and nurses have been brilliant."