How battle with enlarged prostate affected my career – Actor Kola Oyewo

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Veteran actor and renowned lecturer Kola Oyewo has opened up about his tough journey fighting prostate enlargement, noting that the health condition has prevented him from active movie roles.

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The 80-year-old actor revealed this during a recent visit by actor Kunle Afod, as he reflected on his acting journey as well as the physical impact of the illness on him.

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Kola Oyewo added that the condition has further weakened him and has forced him to turn down highly demanding acting roles.

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“Before now, I could be here and there and play any role, but the sickness laid me back. I can’t play some roles anymore. Except for some minor roles. Well, thank God I am okay now. You can’t go through some kind of sickness and go back to how you’ve been before, but I thank God,” he said.

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However, he expressed gratitude for his recovery and survival despite the health challenges.

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Oyewo further emphasised that his early decision to seek medical help was crucial in saving his life and the recovery phase.

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“I’m 80 years old, and we have so many people of my age that are still standing better than I am, but I thank God still. If I hadn’t taken decision to drive myself to the hospital as I did, then I might have died. They gave me a note to take to a hospital in Akure, but I thought to myself, who would take care/assist me there, so I went home first.”

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“I told my wife, and we went to our family doctor. The symptoms I felt that made me go to the hospital were difficulty sleeping at night, frequent urine and sometimes urination on the body before I get to the toilet. After a series of tests, I was told I have an enlarged prostate, Oyewo added.”

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as Enlarged prostate, is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland common in men over 50, caused by ageing and hormonal changes. It causes urinary issues like frequency, weak stream, and urgency by compressing the urethra.

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The pressure can cause symptoms such as difficulty peeing, while treatments include lifestyle changes, medications, or minimally invasive procedures.

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Oyewo began his career in 1964 after he joined the Oyin Adejobi theatre group, and his first role was Adejare in ‘Orogun Adedigba’.

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He is a veteran with over four decades of acting experience. He also lectured at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun state, from 1996 till his retirement in 2011.

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