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Walk with Nigel and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity for men’s health

February 14, 2024

Nigel Holland

Nigel Holland

In April 2023, 68-year-old, Nigel Holland from Poole had his first appointment with Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston at University Hospitals Dorset.

After many years of living with increasingly frequent and inconvenient trips to empty his bladder to only feel never fully relieved, Nigel’s symptoms worsened.

Nigel was referred by his GP to the urology team where he was diagnosed in what felt like an instant. While Nigel thought he could continue living with this discomfort, he was told he had an enlarged prostate gland and three days later booked in for some initial treatment and tests.

In November 2023, Nigel had HoLEP surgery (laser treatment) to cut away the excess prostate to enable his urine to flow more freely.

In just 5 months, Nigel feels he has a new lease of life. His usual walks with his dogs and running is much more comfortable and he is extremely relieved and reassured he was seen when he was.

Nigel said: “I just carried on thinking it’s something you put up with, but little did I know that my urine was going back into my kidneys, causing my kidney function to drop to a very low 28 when it should be around 90%. The symptoms crept up on me and if I had carried on, I would have been in serious trouble.”

“I feel extremely lucky to have had the quality of care I received from Tommy and the team. I knew I was in safe hands and have left with an extremely high impression of the urology department.”

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston said: “Any changes in usual symptoms, however small can mean something more is going on and can become much more worrying over time, so don’t wait to be seen. The sooner we can help, the better.”

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston said: “Nigel’s condition is common and unfortunately many men leave it too late before they ask for help. Through March for Men this year we would like to raise awareness in the community about the importance of getting yourself checked out if you have noticed a change in your urinary symptoms and they are starting to cause you bother. We now offer have a wide range of treatments for bothersome urinary symptoms which are summarised in the NHS England Decision Support Tool for Benign Prostate Enlargement. We are most grateful to Nigel for sharing his treatment journey and for the support from our local community at this year’s fundraising event on Sunday 9 March”

Nigel now knows that his scans have shown no signs of cancer and is due to have his final check up next month, before he is discharged.

While he is overjoyed with his recovery and resolved symptoms, he’s keen to encourage more men across Dorset to get themselves to their doctor whenever they notice any changes in health.

In support of men’s health projects across Dorset, Nigel is encouraging the local community to support one another and sign up to March for Men on Saturday 9 March 2024 – our much-loved fundraising walk. Sign up at uhdcharity.org/m4m

In its tenth year, this event starts from 10am at Bournemouth Pier Approach. Every penny raised allows the incredible Urology team to purchase state-of-the-art equipment that is above and beyond what the NHS can fund. New revolutionary equipment enables the streamline of diagnosis and improves treatment for patients like Nigel.

Nigel is just one of thousands of men across Dorset who have faced men’s health concerns so please join us in a few weeks’ time for this family-friendly 5K or 10K walk along Bournemouth promenade to support our dad’s, brothers, grandfathers and friends.

a surgeon at work

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnson