Prostate cancer & living authentically
Eve shares how being diagnosed with prostate cancer at 57 became intertwined with her journey of self-discovery and gender identity and how facing cancer encouraged her to embrace her authentic self.
Eve was diagnosed at 57 after a routine check-up showed her PSA levels rising from 4 to 12. A biopsy revealed an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
She had surgery in 2018 to remove her prostate, which left her without erectile function and made her feel disconnected from her previous identity. This pushed her to embrace her non-binary and transgender identity more fully.
“They told me that my choices were radiation or surgery. I told them to remove the gland. When they did, they took the nerves on one side of my prostate gland, the nerves that control a male’s erection, and I lost my erection. It left me feeling less than male. I was always non-binary and my wife always knew that since our first date.
When they said, “You can’t have your testosterone anymore,” I started having hot flashes. I went through something similar to menopause. I coined it androgenopause.
It was a rough few years. I decided that I was going to transition. If I only have a few years left and I don’t feel male anymore, I better live it authentically.”
After surgery Eve had several rounds of radiation therapy. When her PSA started rising again, she learned that testosterone was helping fuel the cancer and decided to have her testicles removed. This helped a little, but it wasn’t enough on its own. Eventually, an oncologist developed a treatment plan that brought her PSA down to undetectable levels for four years.
Looking back, Eve sees her experience with cancer as something that also pushed her to live more openly and authentically. Her story highlights the importance of better, more inclusive healthcare for trans people, including using appropriate language and making sure trans women are represented in prostate cancer research.
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