Leader warns ‘macho’ men over crucial health checks
THE leader of Solihull Council has re-lived a scary prostate cancer experience and urged “macho” men not to put off getting checked.
Cllr Ian Courts was diagnosed with the disease more than 10 years ago – just weeks before becoming mayor of the borough.
The Conservative politician said he feared telling his wife the news – but was “lucky” to discover the cancer so quickly.
He said he wanted men to “take this disease more seriously”. He also begged people not to let their spouses put off getting checked.
The Dorridge and Hockley Heath councillor said he was diagnosed just six months after a separate PSA blood test came back all clear.
Cllr Courts said: “The consultant I went to said, ‘I look at loads of cases and I’m right five out of six times.
“I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about here’. Guess which I was? I was the sixth time.”
After further tests revealed cancer in his prostate, medics decided to give the disease time to see how it progressed.
A year later – just weeks before he was set to take office as mayor – Cllr Courts was told he needed an operation.
He continued: “I said yes, but I’m going to be taking over as Mayor in two months... and they said, ‘so?’
“I was told I had two choices – I could have the operation and there was a great chance of sorting it out – or the alternative, you probably don’t want to hear what that was.
“So I said okay, I’ll do it. I actually took over as mayor, did a few weeks service and then went and had my operation down in London.
“Two weeks later I went back to work being mayor.”
Cllr Courts went on: “I was lucky that I spotted it. I had no symptoms.”
Some 12 years have now passed and Cllr Courts is checked every six months or so. He said he had thought “long and hard” before speaking out because “most men wouldn’t”.
“It’s personal isn’t it?” he said. “You know what men are like. Men don’t like talking about personal details.
“But what are we here for as politicians?
“We’re here to do some good. Two men came up to me after I went public and thanked me personally for saving their lives.”
He said it was vital anyone having trouble passing water get checked and recommended finding out more about prostate cancer online.
“Difficulty in passing water is not necessarily cancer but it might be,” he said.
“If you can spot it early there’s a chance of getting rid of it.”