Episode Details

What started as one man trying to make sense of prostate cancer became poetry, advocacy, and a way of helping other men feel less alone. 

In this episode of The Penis Project, Melissa is joined again by Steve Jones, known to many listeners as the poet who didn’t know it. Steve is now five years on from prostate cancer treatment and he reflects on PSA anxiety, recovery, poetry, weight loss, peer support, and finding purpose in the aftermath of a life-changing diagnosis. This is an honest, moving, and hopeful conversation for men, partners, and anyone navigating life after treatment. 

Steve shares his experience of being diagnosed during COVID, having a radical robotic prostatectomy, and then feeling like he was left to work out the rest on his own. He speaks honestly about PSA anxiety, the emotional toll of survivorship, and the reality that even years later, follow-up testing can still stir up fear. 

But this episode is not just about cancer. It is also about what can grow in the aftermath of a hard diagnosis. 

Steve talks about how prostate cancer unexpectedly opened the door to poetry, advocacy, deeper connection, better health, and a renewed sense of purpose. He also shares his work with A Touchy Subject, where he helps facilitate peer support chats for men navigating prostate cancer, sexual recovery, penile implants, incontinence surgery, and the many challenges no one talks about enough. 

Melissa and Steve also discuss the importance of early testing, why men need better access to holistic care after treatment, and how simple lifestyle changes like weight loss, movement, and resistance training can make a real difference to health, confidence, and recovery. 

This is a moving, funny, wise conversation about fear, resilience, and making something meaningful out of a difficult experience. 

About Steve 

Steve Jones is a prostate cancer survivor, writer, poet, advocate, and peer support facilitator. Since his diagnosis and treatment, he has become a strong voice for men navigating prostate cancer recovery, sharing his experience through poetry, media interviews, support groups, and community advocacy. 

Resources & Links: 

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic 

• For more information check out our websites www.rshealth.com.au , www.makehardeasy.com.au and www.melissahadleybarrett.com 

• Steve Jones’ book Words Woke Me https://rshealth.com.au/shop/p/words-woke-me-prostate-cancer-poetry-book  

• A Touchy Subject https://www.atouchysubject.com/  

• Steve’s previous two appearances on The Penis Project: https://thepenisproject.podbean.com/e/126-steve-the-poet-who-didn-t-know-it/  https://thepenisproject.podbean.com/e/151-words-woke-me/   

• True North on the Movember website https://truenorth.movember.com/  

• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia https://www.pcfa.org.au/  

Need support? 

At Restorative Health Clinic and Make Hard Easy, we support men and their partners with: 

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment 

• erectile dysfunction 

• peyronie’s disease 

• premature ejaculation