93: Bill Van Didden - Still Here, Still Fighting

"He noticed something wasn't right on a cruise in 2015. Ten years, two surgeries, chemo twice, and one clinical trial later, Bill is still here, and still telling every man he knows to get tested."Bill was running a business with 16 employees when a stage four prostate cancer diagnosis turned his life upside down. What followed was a decade of surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and experimental treatments, including a first-in-human drug trial he's currently part of. Through all of it, exercise, community, and his wife's support have kept him going, and kept him fighting for other men to catch it earlier than he did.In this episode, we talk about:🩺 Noticing the early signs on a cruise, and the stage four diagnosis that followed back in Perth💉 A treatment journey spanning a prostatectomy, radiation, hormone therapy, two rounds of chemo, and a $10,000-a-dose treatment that didn't work🧪 Being one of only three patients in Australia on a first-in-human trial for a new prostate cancer drug📉 Why his PSA wasn't even that high when the cancer had already spread, and what that means for every man getting tested💪 How Prost's exercise sessions and daily ocean swims have helped him manage the mental toll of treatment🤝 The community that checks in on its own, and why the coffee after training matters as much as the workout❤️ Why he believes the disease is often harder on partners than patients🎯 His message for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: ask your GP for a PSA test, and don't take no for an answerThis is a conversation about resilience, community, and refusing to give up, even a decade in.Whether you're facing your own diagnosis, supporting someone who is, or just due for a check-up you've been putting off, this episode is worth your time.🎧 Now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.🌐 prost.com.au