Ah, the last sprint before Christmas!
Picture this: a mountain of work to conquer, the chaos of selling our house, and a trip south to see my daughters and grandkids perfectly slotted in the mix. All I had to do was survive the next two weeks, and then—freedom in the bush for Christmas!
But life had other plans.
The night before heading off for a Bush 1 Assessment, I squeezed in a last-minute appointment with a specialist to review my MRI results. After a fun little maze-run through the wrong corridors (great cardio), I made it just in time. What followed was… let’s just say, a plot twist.
Turns out, the persistent lower belly pain I’d been gritting my teeth through wasn’t just me being a tough cookie. Nope. It was urinary retention—basically, my bladder playing a never-ending game of “keep it all in.” Imagine the bladder as an overworked balloon, only letting out a trickle when I needed to go. The specialist explained that if I kept pushing through it, I’d be on a fast track to kidney failure. Six months, tops. Yikes.
The culprit? My prostate. It had decided to grow up (literally) and close off the exit ramp, making it impossible for my bladder to empty properly.
I always say, "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything"
I didn’t hesitate. I dropped everything, packed an overnight bag, cancelled my plans for the next three days (including a wedding shoot on Saturday), and headed to the ED. After waiting a few hours, I was introduced to the wonders of modern medicine—a catheter. The doctor joked about how they used to be rigid (ouch!), but thankfully, we’re living in the age of flexibility.
Fun fact: Once hooked up, my bladder let loose an impressive 1.6 liters of urine—followed by another 600 ml. Talk about instant relief! And while I wouldn’t recommend the experience, I did find a silver lining: the ability to pee anywhere, anytime. Could come in handy during a stormy tent camp, don’t you think?
By 2:00 a.m., I was admitted to a ward, poked, prodded, and eventually released the next afternoon. Surgery was scheduled for Friday.
The procedure? A TURP operation. (Transurethral Resection of the Prostate, for those playing along at home.) Basically, they removed the catheter, went in arthroscopically via the urethra, scraped the tube wider, and put in a temporary catheter to keep things flushed and drained overnight. Shoutout to general anesthesia—what a champ.
Post-surgery, I had to prove I could pee properly before they’d let me leave. Mission accomplished. Now, I’m facing a 4–6 week recovery, easing back into action while trying to avoid any ruptures or clots.
I keep myself quite active and healthy with extra training, and before this episode, most people would have said I looked just that: fit and healthy. However, what you can not see are the pipes inside.
Outdoor Professionals and their Health
We need to discuss health amongst outdoor professionals much more: working in the outdoors doesn’t automatically mean you’re in great health. Just because you can scale a mountain or paddle through rapids doesn’t mean your body’s running like a finely tuned machine.
Here’s a fun fact courtesy of Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Andy Galpin: muscle mass decreases by 3–8% per decade after age 30—and the rate accelerates after 60. That’s not just "oh, I can’t lift as much"; it’s “hello, slower metabolism and higher injury risk.” The good news? This is avoidable if you put in the effort.
As outdoor professionals, we often work with clients at a lower physical level than ourselves (hopefully). But as you age, trust me, maintaining your fitness becomes non-negotiable if you want to stay active in this industry—or just, you know, enjoy life.
Here’s where you come in. When was the last time you did resistance training? and when was the last time you checked your man parts or got bloods done?
So, a little homework for you: start building your “health etiquette.” Treat your body like the essential tool it is. Hit the gym, grab some weights, or find something fun to keep those muscles strong. Because while nature might be your playground, keeping yourself in shape is the key to staying out there for years to come. Consider the whole picture - nutrition, mental health - how is that going?
Also ask yourself: Have you had trouble peeing lately? Feeling a tight, painful belly? Go get some blood tests every year to ensure you have health markers on your internal organs. Getting your prostate checked these days is as simple as a blood test—though yes, some GPs still like the old-fashioned rectal exam (been there, done that, not my favourite). In my case, it wasn’t the physical check that caught the problem, but an MRI and blood tests revealed elevated prostate markers and declining kidney function.
If so, don’t tough it out. Get it checked. Trust me, your future self—and your kidneys—will thank you.
External muscular health is as important as the internal health of what you can not see - your organs and pipes etc.
Lastly, having caring people around means everything in these circumstances. A huge thank you to the amazing medical staff that are working under pressure with limited resources - They are wonderful! Jo (wife - she is simply incredible), my sister Susan, Rebecca, the kind messages from others and especially being able to talk to my daughter Jess. It meant the world to me.
Andy Thompson
