Login
Login

Paul Coulson

0%

Every step
matters this
Men’s Health Week.

I’m walking for prostate cancer to honour the battles fought in silence, to raise awareness that saves lives, and to turn my own diagnosis into a step toward hope—for myself and for every man who still has time to act.

Prostate cancer is Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancer. 1 in 5 men are likely to be diagnosed in their lifetime.

That’s why, this Men’s Health Week, I’m making every step count.

Will you donate today and help fund new research to detect and defeat prostate cancer?

Help me raise funds to support those impacted by prostate cancer

Raised

$3,315

My Goal

$500

Select amount to donate

$40
$62
$120
$
Donate

My Updates

Navigating a Decision: What Support Looks Like Beyond Surgery

Tuesday 10th Jun
Yesterday’s urology appointment left me feeling deflated. Not because of the prognosis — I’ve had time to sit with that — but because of the conversation.

The surgeon was once again recommending IRP — invasive radical prostatectomy — despite the fact that I’ve already, respectfully and carefully, made my decision not to pursue surgery or active treatment at this time.

What made it harder was the tone of the conversation. It wasn’t overtly disrespectful — but there was a borderline dismissiveness, as though my choice didn’t quite register as valid. I was spoken to, not with. At one point, there were long, awkward silences while he tapped away at his keyboard — and I sat there, feeling like a bystander in my own care.

I get it. They're trained to treat, to act, to do. And for many people, surgery might be the right path. But it isn’t the right one for me — not right now.

This isn’t a post about discrediting medical advice. I value the role of specialists. I respect their skill, their intent, and their desire to extend lives. But I also believe that support doesn't end when we choose a different path.

What makes it even more complex is being in the public health system, where you often see a different doctor at each appointment. Some are wonderfully empathetic — they listen, they ask, they see you. Others are more matter-of-fact — focused on the charts, not the person. That inconsistency can be jarring, especially when you’re trying to build trust around such a deeply personal decision.

I also understand that the profession is structured in silos — highly specialised services focused on specific organs, conditions, or treatments. It’s how modern medicine works. But this siloed approach often misses something crucial: whole-person care. The kind that considers not just what’s happening in your prostate, but what’s happening in your mind, your relationships, your life.

Because here’s the part that doesn’t always get talked about enough:
The mental health toll.

The anxiety before appointments.
The exhaustion of retelling your story over and over.
The isolation of feeling like your decision somehow makes you “non-compliant.”
The quiet question that creeps in later — did I do the right thing?

It wears on you. Even when you feel certain. Even when you’ve made peace with your choice.

For those of us who opt out of surgery — for now, or forever — it’s not because we’re giving up. It’s because we’re choosing to live on our terms. To weigh quality over quantity. To listen to our own bodies, values, and instincts.

But what’s missing, sometimes, is the system of ongoing support for those who don’t follow the standard roadmap. Once you say “no” to surgery, you can feel like you’ve fallen off the edge of the care plan. The hand-holding stops. The check-ins grow sparse. The reassurance, the practical guidance, the space to ask “what now?” — it fades.

And yet, this is when support matters most.

What I — and others like me — need isn’t persuasion. It’s partnership.

We need clinicians who can sit with uncertainty. Who can help us monitor and manage symptoms with compassion, not pressure. Who understand that doing less is sometimes doing more, especially when it comes to dignity, autonomy, and life quality.

We need pathways for the “in-between” — where active surveillance isn’t passive avoidance, but a legitimate, supported, and carefully managed choice.

We need emotional and psychological support, not just scans and numbers. We need GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, and peers who check in not just on our cancer, but on us.

If you've made a similar decision — to forgo treatment for now — I want you to know: you're not alone. Your choice is valid. And you deserve care, respect, and guidance just as much as anyone undergoing surgery or radiation.

This community — and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia — has an opportunity to help shift the conversation. Not away from treatment, but toward whole-person support, wherever we are on the path.

Because prostate cancer isn't one-size-fits-all.

And neither is courage.

Thank you to my sponsors

$54.12

Megan Buerckner

Sending big hugs xx

$50

Anonymous

$126.62

Dean

Courage/Resolve/Self Determination

$515

Matched Donation

Proudly matched by Tyrepower

$515

TRADIES NETWORK

$66.77

Scott Kilkeary

Much love

$85.48

Debra Oliver

Keep on walking 🙏❤️

$43.60

Chris Smith

Hi Paul as you know I will walking in this challenge too. Thinking of you and Dean along the way💪

$22.58

Kim Coles

Thinking of you 💕 Kim

$22.58

Odette

Walking with you in spirit Paul.

$126.62

Kim Lang

$126.62

Alistair Rich

Thank you for the enormous value you add to my life on a daily basis. You are inspirational.

$20

Jennifer Tonkin-Jones

Thinking of you Paul. Good luck on the walk

$106.12

Sarah Waller

Paul stay strong walk tall and keep the conversation going. You are an inspiration to so many. Xx

$66.77

Jo Levin

Stay strong and walk tall. Your willingness to be open about your journey will encourage men to have this important conversation

$126.62

Karen McKeering

$22.58

Diana Maher

Thinking of you Paul. Your not alone, sending you love & support.

$465

Clix Carpenter-Frank

Love your soul xxx

$100

Ashna

With huge love to you

$66.77

Susan & Ross Bardon

You are inspirational Paul, I love the thoughts you share and wish you as much joy as this life can bring you.

$54.12

Lace

All our love and support from the Millwards. Xoxox

$126.62

Sally TingleyWalker

For the wonderful memories of of life as kids. You can & will do this with strength and poise. Love to you & yours. Xxxx

$43.60

Petra Spencer-Scarr

Jy is ‘n legend Paulie en sal altyd wees. You can do this!!! Xxx

$126.62

Simon Crowther

We are with you every step of the way Paul!! Thank you for your openness & honesty with your choices & how that makes your feel. It is certainly enlightening and raising our awareness of the myriad emotions that may fuel treatment decisioning. Thank you & we love you! ❤️

$54.12

Shelley Boyd

Thinking of you Paul and wishing you all the best on this journey, big hugs xx

$126.62

Kris Polkinghorne & Adrian Pennisi

We love you for being the inspired individual you are, who has always lived by his own values, rules, belief’s.

$54.12

Paul Coulson

You can also Donate via Direct Deposit:
Account Name: Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Ltd
BSB: 062 000
Account Number: 12668231
Payment reference: Your full name
To request your receipt: donations@pcfa.org.au