This past January, at age 42, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That's pretty young. But there is a history of this disease on my mother's side of the family and she insisted that I get screened - a screening that normally wouldn't have occurred for someone my age - and what a good thing she did. If the cancer had gone a few more years undetected it might not have been treatable. My mother knew what she was talking about. She demanded I get screened as she started hospice care for a cancer that went undetected and that would take her life in early April.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. If you have a family history of this cancer it is important to talk with your physican about the risks and whether or not screening is appropriate. Sometimes it isn't. Prostate cancer is often a slow growing cancer and treatment in those who are eldery is often worse than the cancer. But for younger men it can be the difference between life or death. The difference between being there for your children or not. I was fortunate to get the best treatment possible at Oregon Health Sciences University.
I'm glad I get the chance to be there for my children.
