Patient’s prostate cancer treatment thank you racks up 300,000 views on YouTube
YouTuber Paul Shillito is more used to talking about developments in space than those within his own body, but he took to his own channel to chat about his prostate cancer surgery and thanked staff at Southend Hospital.
That video has already had 300,000 views on his YouTube channel about space, discovery and technology called Curious Droid, which has over one million subscribers.
In it he talks about his diagnosis, the care he received and the importance of people getting checked - a message all the more important as March is prostate cancer awareness month.
Paul, from Clacton, was out of hospital just 30 hours after his major operation, known as a robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, which removed his prostate and hopefully cut out his cancer. He made the video just two weeks later.
He said: “I would like to give a big shout out to all those NHS staff at Southend Hospital in Essex who helped with my care, and in particular Anna and Jim in the recovery room. Jim even recognised me from YouTube, and we had a long chat about all sorts of stuff.”
Staff nurse, Anna Johnson said: “It was a wonderful surprise to get a mention from Paul on YouTube. It was lovely speaking to him when he was here in post op recovery and great to see him again on video. We put the patient at the heart of all we do, so getting such a unique thank you on his channel is really special and rmeans a lot.”
Paul also urged any men aged 50 plus to get checked, even if - like him - they don’t have any symptoms. “I had no symptoms other than my urine flow or pee had slowed down over the past five years or so, and that getting started was equally as slow.
“Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, with one in eight of us getting it. But if you catch it early enough, it is also one of the most treatable with a survival rate of over 90 per cent after 10 years.
“Even if I help save the life of one person with this video, or if they go to the doctor to get checked out, but otherwise wouldn’t have done, then me posting this video has done its job.”
And it is already making quite the impact on YouTube, with messages of support and thanks for Paul highlighting the importance of getting tested for prostate cancer.
One comment said: “Glad to hear that you are recovering from your surgery and for speaking out encouraging men to get checked”, whilst another added: “Thanks for sharing your story. It's something I've known a few people go through with success but us blokes are terrible at getting things checked out. Wishing you the very best.”
You can view Paul’s video on Curious Droid here: https://youtu.be/bqGa8Y6CXiY