FOR the past three years, Shane Muldoon, Alice Springs, NT, has been lobbying all levels of government and health providers and professionals for more equitable treatment for men in regional areas.
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This crusade has come after a difficult experience seeking treatment for prostate cancer.
It all started back in January 2012 when a blood test showed elevated Prostate Specific Antigen – an indicator of cancer. Another blood test in April showed those levels had risen even further.
After an ultrasound at the Alice Springs hospital confirmed an enlarged prostate, Shane was put on a waiting list to see the visiting specialist.
But he was warned by his GP that it could take a while to see the visiting specialist and Shane was offered a referral to receive advice further afield.
He ended up seeking help from a urologist in Cairns, Qld. The urologist confirmed Shane had a deformity of the prostate and a biopsy was needed.
But as the doctor was in another district the next day and Shane was heading back to Alice Springs, the biopsy was not done until September, when it confirmed prostate cancer.
He had surgery for a radical prostectomy in November and afterwards Shane was told that the cancer, which had been contained within the prostate, had spread to other areas.
All the interstate treatment left Shane with costs totalling tens of thousands of dollars.
And to make matters worse by the time NT Health got back to him nine months after he was initially put on the waiting list, he was only weeks away from starting radiation treatment.
“I was angry at what had happened with my treatment,” he said.
The Pssst ‘n’ Ponies event started after Shane jokingly said he was going to ride a horse to Canberra to try and grab the attention of politicians and shine a light on the serious issues with country health.
“But in the end, I just wanted to relax and have a good ride and at the same time create more awareness about issues with men’s health. I just wanted to get the message out that there is a problem.”
Pssst ‘n’ Ponies is being expanded this year.
“I just thought if we brought in extras like bronco branding and a gymkhana, more people could participate,” Shane said.
“I’ve got plans to grow the event even further and make it a week-long event so it makes it worthwhile for people from interstate to bring their own horses.”
The 2016 Pssst ‘n’ Ponies event kicks off on Friday, September 2 with a 30-kilometre horse ride, followed by bronco branding the next day and a gymkhana on Sunday, September 4.
