Mitcham’s Steve Creighton to help others beat prostate cancer after brave battle against the disease
A Mitcham man who defied the odds in beating prostate cancer is devoting his time to raising funds and awareness to help prevent other men facing the gruelling disease.
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He‘s playing cricket again, cooking dinner for the Vermont Football Club weekly and is working on several projects to raise funds and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
It’s hard to believe Steve Creighton fought off a “very aggressive” form of the disease just last year.
The Mitcham man defied the medical odds, and he’s more than aware many men aren’t as fortunate.
“I’m definitely lucky to be here,” he said.
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His painful battle has given him a new appreciation for life and for his incredible family and friends.
He’s vowed to commit the “rest of (his) life” to supporting the foundation.
The father of two is working to share the message men over the age of 40 should get their prostate checked.
Mr Creighton said he had never had his checked before his cancer was found, and wasn’t aware of any symptoms before the disease was already severely advanced.
He was at a cricket match in Adelaide in December 2017, aged 56, when he first realised something was wrong.
He felt excruciating pain and found he couldn’t urinate.
He stayed in that uncomfortable state for 20 hours until he returned to Melbourne and saw a doctor, who immediately sent him to the emergency department at Knox Private Hospital.
Doctors discovered his enlarged prostate and had to use a catheter to relieve him.
A biopsy in February 2018 finally confirmed Mr Creighton’s worst fears, revealing he had “a very aggressive cancer” in his prostate.
Mr Creighton said doctors kept telling him they’d never seen a case as serious as his, believing the cancer could have been growing for more than three years.
Doctors couldn’t completely remove it during a five-hour operation and he had to undergo a gruelling seven weeks of radiation treatment.
Doctors didn’t think the process would be enough to beat the disease, but for the nine months since they haven’t detected any cancer in his blood.
Mr Creighton’s lucky to be alive and no longer undergoing treatment, but he’s still grappling with the painful and uncomfortable side effects of his battle.
“You become a baby,” he said. “It’s very frustrating.”
He’s had to wear nappies and is still doing physiotherapy to get his pelvic floor muscles back to normal.
But he’s returned to work and all his community endeavours.
Mr Creighton’s said the support and love he’d received from his family, friends and the sporting clubs he’s involved with was “unbelievable”.
He played with his Heatherdale Cricket Club team in their league’s semi-final in 2017, but missed the grand final because it fell on the same day as his operation.
Straight after his 13 teammates won the match they all crowded into his hospital room, handing him a VB, putting a medal around his neck and blasting the club song.
“We were all crying,” he said. “That’s what sport is all about.”
Mr Creighton said he couldn’t believe this year he got to play with his mates as they won the grand final again.
In February, the Heatherdale Cricket Club committee member spoke about his battle with 300 people at a club event to raise awareness for prostate cancer.
He’s made $1100 for the Foundation selling stubby holders his teammates designed for him and he’s also working on producing a CD of the songs that inspired him through his radiation treatment, which he will sell to fundraise.
His friend’s son’s band are recording covers of the songs for the CD, while his teammates are planning to sing the track ‘You’ll never walk alone’ signifying their support for Mr Creighton.
The songs will be performed live at a fundraising event at Vermont Football Club on August 10.
And support from Mr Creighton’s friends and the community hasn’t stopped there.
His friends themed their annual Christmas party around his journey, with everyone wearing festive socks as Mr Creighton did everyday of his radiation journey.
When Mr Creighton first received a reading of 0 cancer in his blood his friend from England sent over a shirt from his favourite soccer team with the jersey number 00.
“Friends are everything.”
For Men’s Health Week (June 10-16), men over 40 are being urged to get their prostate checked.
More info: pcfa.org.au/getchecked
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