The Penis Project Podcast: Breaking Taboos in Men’s Sexual Health

122. POLAXED BY HIS PROSTATE - AFL ICON ‘’DIPPER’’ – ROBERT DiPierdomenico lifts the lid on his own Men’s Health Crisis

Feb 7, 2023

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For today's episode, we talk with Australian Hall of Famer (2007), five-time Hawthorn Premiership Player & 1986 Brownlow Medalist, Berto ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico!

He has recently opened up about his own unexpected men’s health crisis in 2022 – an episode of urinary retention -, which caused pain ‘far worse than any previous football injury’ ’over his 240 game career. This included the punctured lung and multiple broken ribs suffered in the 1989 AFL Grand final vs Geelong - a game many report as the “finest ever GF” for its ferocity & the infamous poleaxing of Dipper by the ‘’GOD ‘’of Football-, Gary Ablett Snr.

In this riveting interview with Dr Jo Milios (Men’s Health Physiotherapist) and West Coast Eagles Physiotherapist Chris ‘Tex’Perkin, Dipper reveals the stark story of his ‘’middle of the night’’ emergency, when he was carted off in an ambulance after his bladder became blocked, requiring emergency surgery, catheterisation and a going need to wear adult diapers.

Dipper reveals what happened and why, and takes us on a personal journal of living with ongoing urinary incontinence linked to problems of the bladder & prostate!

As you will hear, Dipper also points out that many lessons have been learnt, but there are still many more that need addressing when it comes to common physical issues in men’s health.

For example, a referral to a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic floor muscle training was advised by his Drs, but then not undertaken.

When Chris Perkin asks ‘’Why?’’, Dipper’s answers reveal much about the culture of the great Aussie male, where asking for help, or even a drink of water – were not part of the traditional male footy player’s macho image in the 1980’s.

Stoicism, ‘’pushing thru’’ and showing no cracks in the armour were essential credentials, and reflect a time and place, you may be surprised to tune into. True to form, however, Dipper’s humour and candour are incredible! Listening to his attempts to perform a pelvic floor ‘’Nuts 2 Guts’ exercise will leave you scratching your head…

Most poignant to Dr Jo, however, was Dipper’s answer to ‘’how he is now?’’ – 8 months after surgery to clear the urinary tube, remove excess prostatic tissue (BHP- Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) and fix the urinary retention issue that had caused him so much pain.

Well, Dipper says, ‘’I don’t need to empty my bladder 60-80 times per day and every 20 mins during the night anymore, I piss like a 12-year-old, I just don’t know when I’m going to piss and I don’t have prostate cancer…’.

ENJOY! LISTEN & LEARN! – Dipper is now a LEGEND of Men’s Health – the Merv Huges of Football.

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