Michael Shirley

Michael Shirley, age 81, previously 12 years ago diagnosed with Gleason 7 prostate cancer.

The urologist said I had prostate cancer and I'd be dead in three years if I didn't have an immediate prostatectomy.

My response to that was fright and I wondered, because I'm a cynical university graduate, whether what I was being told was true.

So I wanted a second opinion.

He suggested his partner, which I found very offensive and I never saw him again.

I am.

And one of those boasts that he's done 6,500 radical prostatectomies and he's probably earned fees in the $150 million area.

So the possibility of him

Wanting to be balanced about whether you're a customer for surgery or not doesn't exist.

He can't separate himself from that huge flow of money.

Yes, it was Alex Barrett, a professor at the University of Sydney, who was questioning what was going on in the newspaper.

And I thought, wow, if an expert is questioning this, maybe it's time for me to question.

And that sent me off to a more independent urologist who was at a different hospital.

Nine years later, and I have absolutely no health issues of any kind.

Yes, I ski every year.

Looking forward to doing that next month.

It's devastating.

It interferes with everything that you're thinking of.

As I said today, I didn't bother to have any dental checkups because why bother?

I'm going to be dead shortly.