By Carly Duffy,Kathryn Ingate
Copyright walesonline
Sir Rod Stewart’s battle with prostate cancer in 2017 was kept under wraps initially, as the music icon chose to maintain his privacy. Following a routine check-up, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease, and he confided in Penny that he wanted to keep it quiet until he had a handle on the situation. Penny has revealed in her new book, “Someone Like Me”, that waiting for Rod’s test results was “excruciating”. Despite this, Rod remained forward-looking, even planning his upcoming tour while recuperating from treatment. Penny, meanwhile, found herself silently grappling with the situation. She describes in her book how the need for secrecy meant she had to distance herself from her support network, leading to an “agonising wait”. Her subsequent appearance on Loose Women saw her unexpectedly sharing her experiences of sexual harassment , which she feels opened the door to expressing all the pent-up emotions she’d been harbouring. Following that cathartic moment on television, Penny felt a wave of support, yet the days ahead proved to be a real struggle. In her own words, Penny disclosed: “I felt incredibly low, and my depression spiralled further, and I realised that to be strong for both myself and Rod, I might need some help too.” She recounted how her GP had suggested anti-depressants, but she initially thought taking the medication would make her “weak”. Penny reflected: “Silly, when I look back now. But I did need to get over this bump, to feel more able to tackle life head-on.” Eventually, she decided to take them, and the medication proved to be a significant help for her, with Penny likening them to a safety raft that carried her until she could reach solid ground again. Opening up about starting therapy, she found it invaluable as it provided her with a space to discuss thoughts she couldn’t share elsewhere. Penny divulged: “As I sat in the therapist’s room, I sobbed solidly for three hours. It’s as if a valve had been released.” During her sessions, she voiced her fears of losing Rod, and her sons losing their father. She also revealed that a mix of past traumas came pouring out, which she believes were triggered by a discussion on ITV’s Loose Women. Penny didn’t return to therapy after her ordeal, feeling that the timing wasn’t right and preferring to keep certain issues “shut away for a while longer” as she dealt with Sir Rod’s health challenges. In July 2019, Rod received the all-clear following his cancer diagnosis.
