Paul Burrell on getting 'so emotional' after prostate cancer treatment

‘I’m going to be a mess for a very long time’: Paul Burrell, 64, speaks out on getting ‘so emotional’ after undergoing prostate cancer treatment following ‘life-changing’ diagnosis

Paul Burrell will be seen breaking down in tears during Monday’s episode of Lorraine as he speaks out on his devastating cancer diagnosis.

The former servant of the British Royal Household, 64, admits he is fearful, saying he could be a ‘mess for a very long time’.

Former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! campmate Paul – who used to work for, and was a confidante of, the late Princess Diana – was diagnosed with prostate cancer last summer.

He previously said he’s worried he won’t be alive at the end of the year but, as he prepares to begin his treatment for the disease, Paul will be seen getting emotional on ITV this week.

According to the Mirror, he said: ‘I’m apprehensive because I don’t know what to expect and I don’t know what the outcome is going to be,’ the ex-footman to the late Queen said of his meeting at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, admitting it was ‘a lot to take in’.

Heartbreaking: Paul Burrell, 64, will be seen breaking down in tears during Monday’s episode of Lorraine as he speaks out on his devastating cancer diagnosis

Paul is due to undergo a two-hour procedure during which radium will be injected into his prostate.

He will spend a week recovering before having radiotherapy for three weeks after.

The reality star hopes he will be given the all-clear after that round of treatment.

However, he said he is dreading the ‘battle with the hormone treatment’ which will aim to reduce the prostate gland and the cancer.

He said: ‘I get so emotional because of the hormone therapy, which she said I’ll have to continue after the operation.

‘I’m going to be a mess for a very long time. But you have to trade off certain things to get to a point of living.’

Paul previously said he is worried he won’t be alive at the end of the year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer last summer.

He said: ‘I’m tired, I’m on hormone therapy, it’s robbing me of my testosterone so my beard isn’t growing as it should, I’m tired, and I’m getting hot flushes.

Distraught: The former servant of the British Royal Household admits he is fearful, saying he could be a ‘mess for a very long time’ after undergoing treatment

‘I’m on an emotional educational rollercoaster and not knowing where I’m going to be…

‘Thinking “Am I going to be here next year [for Christmas]?” … I told my boys and they said “Dad, we need to spend more time with you”.’

Paul explained he had been for a medical last year and underwent a ‘full MOT’, with a PSA test – which can detect prostate cancer – showing ‘fairly unusual’ levels, prompting his GM to send him for an MRI scan, which showed a shadow on his prostate.

While he feels ‘so tired’, he believes he’s fortunate it was caught early and wants to raise awareness of the disease.

During an earlier appearance on Lorraine, he said: ‘At the same time you realise that there are thousands of men out there like me who have no symptoms and don’t know they have it.

‘I was really lucky they caught it early. I don’t think men are particularly good about going to the doctors – they need nudging.’

He is due to undergo surgery to remove the prostate gland. 

Paul said: ”My father days are over. I don’t want any more children, I’ve got two wonderful boys, that’s fine.

‘But not everything finishes because you lose your prostrated. It can continue to be as good as it ever was in the bedroom.

‘You can still have a good sex life but you have to talk about it. Talk about it, don’t hide it.’

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?

How many people does it kill? 

More than 11,800 men a year – or one every 45 minutes – are killed by the disease in Britain, compared with about 11,400 women dying of breast cancer.

It means prostate cancer is behind only lung and bowel in terms of how many people it kills in Britain. 

In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men each year.

Despite this, it receives less than half the research funding of breast cancer and treatments for the disease are trailing at least a decade behind.

How many men are diagnosed annually?

Every year, upwards of 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK – more than 140 every day.   

How quickly does it develop? 

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs someone has it for many years, according to the NHS. 

If the cancer is at an early stage and not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be adopted. 

Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated in the early stages.

But if it is diagnosed at a later stage, when it has spread, then it becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving symptoms.

Thousands of men are put off seeking a diagnosis because of the known side effects from treatment, including erectile dysfunction.

Tests and treatment

Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, with accurate tools only just beginning to emerge. 

There is no national prostate screening programme as for years the tests have been too inaccurate.

Doctors struggle to distinguish between aggressive and less serious tumours, making it hard to decide on treatment.

Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test which gives doctors a rough idea of whether a patient is at risk.

But it is unreliable. Patients who get a positive result are usually given a biopsy which is also not fool-proof. 

Scientists are unsure as to what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and a lack of exercise are known risks. 

Anyone with any concerns can speak to Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecanceruk.org

Source: Read Full Article