Prostate cancer awareness in Movember

27 November 2024

You may have recently seen in the media the sad news that six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy has been diagnosed with palliative prostate cancer. As we are in the month of ‘Movember’, it comes as a stark reminder of the importance of increasing men’s awareness of the condition.

The prostate is a small gland under the bladder which is about the size of a walnut. Cancer of the prostate is the most common type of cancer in men in the UK. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

While anyone with a prostate could potentially develop prostate cancer, certain factors increase the risk of it developing. It is more common in men as they get older, in men of black ethnicity, and in men who have family members with prostate cancer.

What are the symptoms?

Some men can go years without noticing any symptoms. Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:

• Blood in your urine or semen
• Needing to pass urine more frequently, straining while you urinate, or feeling your bladder has not fully emptied
• Erectile dysfunction
• Back or bone pain with no identified cause
• Unexplained pain on passing urine, especially if it happens regularly.

These symptoms do not mean you necessarily have prostate cancer, as there are other possible causes which are more common. But it does mean you should get a check-up with your GP.

Where to find more information

For more information on prostate cancer, you can go to the NHS page on prostate cancer at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/, or check out the ‘Movember’ link at https://uk.movember.com/men-s-health/prostate-cancer

Sam Goodall

Trainee Occupational Health Physician

28 November 2024

The short answer, sometimes. 

This year, Black Friday falls on 29 November and deals will typically run until Cyber Monday, 2 December. So, it’s worth thinking about what it is you might like to buy.  

We’ve all done it, bought something because it was a cracking deal, even though, we don’t really need (or want) it. But considering the cost-of-living crisis we find ourselves in, we really need to consider what it is we are buying, and if we can actually afford it. 

Martin Lewis’ number one Black Friday tip is:

Always do price comparisons before clicking the ‘buy now’ button. There are sites that can help you with this - MoneySavingExpert.com recommend price tracking tools, CamelCamelCamel and PriceSpy 

There are also discounts available for NHS staff, through Health Service Discounts and Blue Light Card all year round, so don’t forget to check them out! 

Katie 

Health and Wellbeing Facilitator

As party season rapidly approaches, many people face a considerable amount of pressure to facilitate the “perfect holiday”. Whether this is getting into tricky financial situations trying to buy the “perfect gifts” or offering to host a dinner party for more people than you are comfortable with, our physical and mental health can suffer.

The first step in avoiding festive burnout is to know the warning signs. If we notice early on that the plans we have made are making us feel less than jolly, we can do something about it.

Signs you have taken on too much:

• Feeling overwhelmed or irritable
• Physical Fatigue and trouble sleeping
• A lack of enthusiasm for the plans you have made
• Struggling to focus or make decisions

But of course, once we know we are overwhelmed, we need to act, so it doesn’t get worse. Setting our boundaries with expectations around gift giving, hosting and having time to relax and unwind can prove very effective, as long as you communicate clearly to loved ones what you need (or don’t need) from them, and follow your set boundaries. If you have a house full of family and friends that you are trying your best to keep happy, no one will judge you for wanting a quiet half an hour to yourself, and if they do, I wouldn’t invite them next year!

Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Cooking for 15 people? Ask everyone to bring a side dish, bring their own drinks, get someone to bring dessert or set the table, the more you can get your guests to do, the better. People are often keen to help and get involved, so rather than dismissing their offers of support, lean into the teamwork, and reduce the number of things you have to think about, especially if it involves the clean up afterwards. It will also be less time stuck in the kitchen or walking around with a bin bag continuously, isolated from festivities and joy.

Leave space for rest

While you’re scheduling in catchups with friends, kids’ parties, events, drinks with cousins and office parties, remember to leave some time where you can reconnect with yourself, to have some time to catch up with your own thoughts. I strongly recommend scheduling this into your day, whether it’s the whole of Christmas eve, an hour or two before you need to start cooking the dinner or making sure everyone has left your house before 9pm so you can curl up on the sofa with your favourite movie, hobby or even nothing at all if you fancy!

Your experience is important too

It’s wonderful that you want your loved ones to have the best time, but what about you? What do you want out of the holidays? What are your priorities for yourself? What do you want? These questions are important to.

I’m not saying you have to put yourself on top of the festive priority list throughout the whole season (although if you did, I would applaud you) but to just keep in mind how you’re feeling, checking in on yourself and responding, with kindness, to those feelings. That is how to beat festive burnout.

So, to wrap up (pardon the pun), let’s focus on what to consider:

• Your own feelings
• Getting everyone involved in preparation and cleanup
• Scheduling in rest time
• Boundaries
• Realistic expectations
• Nourish your body and mind
• Accept imperfection and embrace joy

A huge thank you to all of our colleagues that will be working over the festive break, it’s great if you want to fit in social events and excitement between shifts, but if you don’t, and you’d rather relax and unwind, that’s okay too.

Happy Holidays!

Neomi

Health and Wellbeing Facilitator