Don't Be An Ignorant Coward, Get Your Prostate & Colon Checked!

Quick, what's the most common form of non-skin cancer among men in the United States? If you think it's lung, leukemia, kidney, brain, thyroid, stomach, testicular, or lymphoma, you are wrong. It is prostate cancer. Want to guess cancer number two? colorectal.

Prostate cancer is scary common, especially if you are a man fortunate enough to have enjoyed sixty-five years or more of life - once a man crosses the 65-plus bridge, his chances of developing prostate cancer are 60%

Sixty percent. How does that compare to other cancers? Well, there is no comparison, not even close (except lung cancer among smokers). "Wait a minute," you say, "what about breast cancer?" A woman has about a 12% chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime.

Women have done a wonderful job of elevating awareness of how devastating breast cancer is, pulling a personal, emotionally devastating, demoralizing issue out of a dark closet and making it extremely visible. Breast Cancer gets entire months of exposure from major sports such as Football and Baseball, and the pink ribbon symbol is everywhere.

I applaud the efforts of the women and men (men suffer from breast cancer too) who have worked hard to bring awareness of how horrible breast cancer is, and who have contributed considerable effort in the search for a cure.

That being said, I believe an increased effort needs to be made by men (and women, if they wish) to raise awareness of just how physically and emotionally damaging prostate cancer can be, and how important it is for men to get regular prostate and colon exams.

Someone reading this might have just thought "But what about no-shave November?" which would then be read by someone else who would have the thought "What does no-shave November have to do with prostate cancer?"

In my experience. very few people know what no-shave November is about - most think it's just guys being goofy with facial hair.

Last year I participated in no-shave November, growing an excellent mustache and chinpull combo. Know how many people knew it was in support of prostate cancer research? Maybe two. Umpteen people approached me throughout the month and asked "What's with the old-timey facial hair? Trying to be hip?" I had to patiently explain what it was about, and then direct them to the Prostate Cancer Foundation website (www.PFC.org).

                               That's right, I wasn't just trying to be your huckleberry last year

Men talking about prostate (or colon) cancer with other men, or women, or sadly enough, even their own Doctor, is difficult. Unless you're homosexual or bi, it's talking about an area of the body that is off-limits, is considered uncouth, and the possibility of having a problem there is regarded as an attack on one's own masculinity.

Prostate cancer treatments can lead to impotence or incontinence, and no man, hetero, bi, or homo, wants to think about that much less talk about it.

However, it needs to be done. Men have got to make their health a priority that does not kowtow to embarrassment. 

It's not like the procedures are difficult or all that involved. All a man has to do for a prostate exam is get a physical. Yeah, it briefly involves a finger up your rectum, but get over it. It's not like the Doctor is enjoying it anymore than you.

A colonoscopy is even easier. The prep for two days before the exam is actually more uncomfortable, as it involves fasting and using laxatives to get the colon clean before the Doctor has to take a look around. The actual procedure is simple and is over before you know it, primarily because you're sedated before it is done - all you'll remember is turning onto your left side, the anesthetic being hooked up to the intravenous feed...and next thing you know you're being wheeled out to the recovery area.

I was in and out of the clinic in less than three hours, and the majority of that time was waiting, filling out forms, waiting to come to, and going over the results with the Doctor after the colonoscopy.

The results? Clean as a whistle. Makes the world a brighter place knowing that.

 If you are a man who has been putting off getting your prostate or colon checked out, stop. It's not that big a deal, get it done. It's your body, it's your health, and no one is going to take care of it for you...butt you.

I'm not sorry at all for that bad pun.