Kilted today (3/17/17) - made prostate cancer screening pitch to men's group! (now with photo)

So, in celebration of my Scotch/Irish Celtic heritage, I wore my kilt today! If you've never tried one, you'd be surprised how comfortable they are. It's in my family Graham tartan (our name today descends from that clan).

At my church's Friday morning men's group we're doing a video series. There are about 50 guys that attend (at 6am Friday!). So this morning, I asked for a minute at the start of the session to make a little announcement. In our area, you never see guys in kilts, so it's attention-grabbing.

I told them the usual question is "What's under there?". Big laugh, of course. Then using the line from "Kilted to Kick Cancer", I said," Under here is a 1 in 8 chance for any of us men to get prostate cancer". Continuing, "Look around, that means multiple people in this very room. Please ask your doctors for PSA tests, even if they don't want to do them. Get a baseline at 45, annual checks starting at 50, and watch the trends.".

It was way outside my fairly introverted comfort zone, but quite gratifying and well received. My wife laughs, she says, "I can't even get you to wear a tie, but you'll wear that to work?!".

JackH said...
Nice job!

Since PC overtreatment driven by the PSA-era has given prostate cancer such a bad name, when I do similar "public service announcements," I tend to emphasize the benefits to men becoming knowledgeable and empowered to care and advocate for themselves by making informed decisions. Mine tend to not be PSA-test centric. Think about that for next time.

But nice job nonetheless.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jack. Good idea.

Never been comfortable seeing a man in a skirt. 🙂

JackH said...
Redwing57, you are familiar, I assume, with the musician Michael Cross...?

I saw him perform in 1977, my mom took me (and my college-age sister and her friends) to a bar in Raleigh when I was 17 to see him and Doc Watson...LINK

That's pretty funny!

Another line I've heard, "What's worn beneath the kilt?" "Nothing is worn, everything is in perfect working order!". (That is less true than it used to be, sigh.).

That's legit!

thanks for sharing...I think

Nice! Wouldn't work for me. My legs are much too white and skinny.

Well, that was pretty cool! I'm only 1/8th Irish, so I can't do full Irish regalia. Maybe a shamrock pin on my lapel...

Redwing, like you I am constantly encouraging friends and colleagues to have their psa tested. Since I began doing this after I was diagnosed in October last year, two of my friends have since been diagnosed with prostrate cancer. The lack of education over here in Scotland regarding prostrate cancer is shameful. Doctors seem reluctant to discuss psa testing unless they are asked to directly by their patients. Their needs to be more proactive education on this subject by local GPs.
I was interested to here that your ancestors are from the Graham clan. My surname is Graham from the clan Graham of Montrose dating back to the 12th century to the year 1128.

Who knows we might be long lost relatives!

don't want to stray to far off topic. But I will anyway. Wife is clan McAllister and McNeil that settled Cape Fear and eventually Mississippi. I have attended several clan gatherings with her, and travelled to Scotland on Genealogy searches. What an experience! You will certainly get their attention Redwing.