Like a lot of blokes his age, retired truckie and military firefighter, Ray Boyle never gave any thought to the sobering fact that one-in-six Aussie men are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
But that all changed in a split second a couple of years back when a routine medical check-up dug a little deeper into possible causes for his elevated blood pressure.
After a CT scan, Ray got the harrowing news no one wants to hear.
“The doctor looked at the screen and said, ‘See that there?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘That’s not good.’ You could have shot me on the spot.”
After undergoing a biopsy and weighing his treatment options, Ray opted for cyber radiation — a high-intensity, five-session approach.
“They put like gold nuggets in your prostate that they need to target… and zap you,” he said. “Touch wood, I had my test the other day, and my bloods are nearly back to how they should be.”
Ray, who had a second more recent health scare when a giant kidney stone flared while holidaying in Japan, is now determined to turn his setbacks into something positive.
“I thought, what can I do this year? I need to get some excitement in my life,” said Ray, who is now 67.
On June 30 he sets off from his home in Encounter Bay in South Australia on his brand-new motorbike, a CFMoto 450MT for a 3500km, week-long ride across ‘the paddock’ to Perth, a journey he’s done dozens of times before in a truck cab.
Along the way he plans to stop off at Kadina, a Kimba Lions Club gathering where he is a guest speaker, and various truckies’ roadhouses, rattling the fundraising tin for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and sharing his story in the hope it will inspire others to follow his lead and get themselves checked.
Ray, who has had his MC licence for near on 50 years, has a long history as a truck driver around his stints in the military, including as an owner-driver for Edwards, carting the McDonald’s fries from Tullamarine to Blacktown in his ’79 Kenworth cabover.
He also drove for Refrigerated Roadways, Roadmaster Haulage for Denis Robertson, Bulls hauling from Adelaide to Darwin and for Langs over to Perth.
Ray reckons the long miles in the cab without proper sleep have finally caught up with him.
“You think you can go for days – but it just destroys you.
“I don’t think truckies are as bad as what they used to be with their health, but my message is, ‘If in doubt, get to the doctor’s’.
“King Charles and Joe Biden have a doctor in their back pocket and they both got prostate cancer, so what’s the chance of you and I also getting it?”
Ray also wants to send the message that testing today isn’t as invasive as it once used to be.
A simple blood test called a PSA (Prostate-specific antigen test) is all that’s needed as a starting point.
“If it’s up, then they’ll fly into you and start looking after you.”
To help Ray’s fundraising cause, you can visit his dedicated page at fundraise.pcfa.org.au/fundraisers/rayboyle, or visit the Prostate Cancer of Australia’s home page and search ‘Ray Boyle’.
“Every dollar I raise will be a game-changer for Aussie men and their families, providing vital funding for prostate cancer research, awareness and support.”
Ray’s has been overwhelmed by the support so far, which includes a helping hand from Sharon Middleton, co-owner of Adelaide-based Whiteline Transport and President of the South Australian Road Transport Association.
Ray said Sharon has generously offered to freight his motorbike back from Perth to Adelaide, free of charge.
“It’s great to see that there are lots of good people still in the road freight transport industry,” Ray said.