Diallo Rabain has shared that his recent medical leave was due to him receiving a “shocking” diagnosis of prostate cancer.

The Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation hopes that by opening up about his experiences as a “survivor” he can encourage men, particularly Black men who are more susceptible to the disease, to take better care of themselves.

Mr Rabain, 53, said men tended to have a “macho” approach to their health — often reluctant to talk about it while avoiding doctor’s visits — but he emphasised that, unlike many forms of cancer, prostate cancer can be eliminated with the help of early detection.

His message to the men of Bermuda is: “You can’t be the man of the house if you are six feet under.

“It’s OK to be vulnerable and get checked on because other people are depending on you.

“We [men] can be like cavemen with bats, we think we can beat anything but there are more complications when it has spread to surrounding tissue and into other things.

“If caught early, the long-term diagnosis is very good. It’s one of the few cancers that can be completely eradicated, so why not take that route?

“I know people talk about the digital rectal exam but blood testing is also one of the ways of checking for these things.

“There are side-effects that come with the treatments, but think about living.”

Among the side-effects of treatment for prostate cancer can be incontinence and erectile dysfunction, neither of which are necessarily permanent.

Mr Rabain said: “Since this diagnosis, I have been very open and it has been interesting to hear friends of mine who are now saying they have gone through the same things I have gone through.

“We talk about a lot but this is one thing that we don’t talk about, which is absolutely astounding.”

Mr Rabain, the former education minister who was appointed in his new portfolio after the General Election, gets screened during his annual medical check-ups.

During his last one in September, he was found to have slightly elevated levels of prostate specific antigen, which can indicate prostate cancer as well as other conditions.

Following an MRI scan, Jonathan Makanjuola, a consultant urological surgeon at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, suggested a biopsy, which was carried out on October 31.

By the morning of November 19, Mr Rabain received his diagnosis — he had intermediate-to-aggressive prostate cancer.

“It is a significant diagnosis,” Mr Rabain explained. “Anything above intermediate you have to take care of as quickly as possible.

“Nothing can prepare you for that diagnosis. I remember the day distinctly. I had no signs that this was going on, that is why it was so shocking.

“It makes you realise you are not in control of the things that happen to you. I pride myself as someone who reads all the information and is able to answer the questions — this was just one question I couldn’t answer and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“I sat through Cabinet knowing this because I wanted my daughter to be the first person that I spoke to.

“We did have that conversation and her advice to me was ‘daddy, just do something so you can be around for me’. That aided me in my decisions going forward.”

On Dr Makanjuola’s advice, Mr Rabain opted to have his prostate removed and was fortunate to get an operation scheduled at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, by December 17.

“I talked to my family about the prep I needed to do before and I had a conversation with my ministerial colleagues and the Premier, deciding who would be standing in my stead. It was a bit of a whirlwind for me.

Mr Rabain underwent a robotically assisted surgical procedure called the Da Vinci Method that makes small incisions to the abdomen and cuts the prostate out.

“It went fine and I was up and walking about two hours after surgery,” he beamed.

“The operation was at about 2pm and I was discharged the next day at noon. The doctor described it as like doing a thousand sit-ups in a row — and he was not lying.”

While Mr Rabain was told he would be in Baltimore for about 12 days, he was cleared to fly back to Bermuda on Christmas Eve, a week after his operation. He was overjoyed to be able to spend Christmas with his daughter, Layla.

“I was in bed but she was fine with that. We did get up and put on our matching pyjamas to take our annual picture, so I was happy I was still able to do that.

“I am in relatively good shape, so I should recover faster than normal.”

Mr Rabain said the recovery and side-effects scared most men.

He added: “The removal of the prostate is a trying time for a man. There is no written rule with the healing. Some take years, some months, some take weeks — it varies from person to person.

“Because I did mine early and did the da Vinci Method, they were able to spare all nerves and there are exercises you can do to strengthen various muscles.

“I can happily say that the biopsies that were done here were identical to the biopsy results at Johns Hopkins. Every diagnosis I got here was spot-on. It gives me confidence in our system.

“Dr Makanjuola is a godsend on this particular disease. He’s an expert in it and has brought a lot of awareness to Bermuda while advocating for a new standard of insuring.

“Previously, with my PSA, they would have said OK, we will monitor it, but he has produced a checklist that says if you are this age and you are here, it is best you get these additional things done just to be sure.

“On Valentine’s Day, my PSA was at 0.001, which means I am cancer free.

“Now, I have to get screened every three months for about two years, then every six months and then once a year.

“I am physically healed but not mentally healed from it. There is still that long way to go in terms of the other stuff that needs to happen.

“There is a support group Prostate Awareness Bermuda and they meet once a month at Blue Waters Anglers Club. It is very interesting listening to men tell their story as everyone’s story is the same up until surgery then it differs.

“My biggest issue is being away from work. I’m a workaholic and I really enjoy working for the people.

“One said if I didn’t make it through surgery, another minister would be sworn in a few days later. I took that to heart, not to say that I am replaceable but I do recognise that life goes on and I had to make sure that my life was straight, especially for my loved ones.”

• The Prostate Awareness Bermuda support group meets once a month at the Blue Waters Anglers Club in Hamilton. To contact the group, e-mail prostateabda@gmail.com or call 332-7936

• Video by Kyle McNeil