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What are you doing to support PCa awareness this month, our month!

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Posted 9/3/2013 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
The 2013 ZERO Prostate Cancer run in Austin is at the end of October. Why? I don't know, maybe the heat is a factor but it's only a 5k.

I haven't really made know to my circle of acquaintances that I have/had prostate cancer. I had surgery in June. Still not continent, but it's s l o w l y getting better - I'm averaging about 14 grams of leakage a day. I will have my blood draw on the 12th, go on vacation for a week then see my surgeon on the 23rd for my first results since the surgery. Trying not to get to apprehensive about it.

Anyway, I will post to FB and email my network of military brother's about my bout and see to have them sponsor/participate in the run. I will run with my family on Saturday, October 26th. I hope to see anyone that's near Austin at Camp Mabry.

Rick
PS. Bill W's friend since '78

Post Edited (txrick) : 9/3/2013 5:23:00 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/3/2013 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
Well... I am hosting the GFMPH (Good for Men's Prostate Health) gathering, at the end of this month near Rochester NY.

You are all invited. The only requirement for attendance is to have had a rotten prostate or be the caregiver to someone who had one.

I promise you will have great time!

My email is right over there. Click it!
<---------

Bring your sense of humor. ;-)
Jeff
Posted 9/3/2013 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Txrick,
If you live near Austin, you live in the best area of Texas, as you know. I moved to Florida from Dallas 10 years ago.
At least the weather should be pretty nice for you run. I know they have several Zero Runs in Texas in September also. I ran/walked in my first Zero event 8 weeks after my surgery. The event shirts are pretty neat and they gave out some cool Zero pins. I wear one on my "Prostate Cancer Survivor" hat. My wife and grandson will be walking with me in the events I have scheduled.

Good luck with your 3 month PSA test and your follow up visit with your surgeon. Get used to the PSA anxiety. turn

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/4/2013 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Big Mac,
Hell Yeah! I know that I'm a wuus, but I'm doing all that I can. On Saturday our local hospital is sponsoring a "Steppin Out in Pink" event which was attended by over 5600 participants last year. I just hand carried a letter to my local newspaper which will be published by the editor on Friday. The "rag" has a readership of over 50,000 not including the internet.
Sure, I reminded the readership of the "walk" and recommended that the ladies schedule a mammogram and at the same time have their loved ones make an appointment for a prostate cancer screening test.
Reference was made to "his" and "hers" diseases and the fact that together they result in more deaths in 1 year than our 81/2 year war in Vietnam. Mention was also made that this is "prostate cancer awareness month" and that knowledge of this disease is at the same point as breast cancer was in the past; ie., that it's in the closet!
Ok, I piggybacked my message but I hope that it helps someone.
Bill idea
Posted 9/5/2013 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
Txrick- I just saw your edited post, alright, good for you. I have been friends of Bill W since 1989. And we both lived in Texas. We need to meet sometime. Maybe at one of the GFMPH events.

Gunfighter - nice job getting the message out! That is what we need to do, take advantage of any opportunity tell another brother or sister about PCa and screening for it. I like how you compared the deaths by PCa to the Vietnam war. That is a visual that sticks with people! As far as the Breast Cancer Walk, I am going to be in one in October. Both my sisters had BC.

Great job guys!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/5/2013 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
As Co-Chairman of the UsToo Prostate Cancer Support Group at

Hackensack UMC, I will be working our Table at the "Celebration of Life"

Cancer Survivors Day sponsored by the John Theurer Cancer Center at

Hackensack UMC on September 29th at Liberty State Park in

Jersey City, NJ. We will be handing out PCa Literature and sharing our experiences on our PCa Journey.

Last year this event was attended by almost 3,000 people with a

wonderful performance by Aretha Franklin, who is also a cancer survivor.

Bob

Posted 9/5/2013 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Worried Guy - I can't make it to Rochester but I know everyone will have a great time. Raise some hell and get the word out about PCa to others. I live in Florida so I am planning on joining everyone at Sonny's in Orlando. It will be my first. I hear it is a lot of fun, is that right?

Bob1138 - Sounds like you have some big plans Sept. 29th. I will be at the Zero PCa run the same day. I will be thinking about you. You should be able to reach many men with the "Celebration of Life" event. I hope you have a great turn out. Good job!


Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/9/2013 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Participated in the 2013 Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago's Walk / Run yesterday.  Found a really cool shirt and bandana for the occasion - link to a pic of me in front of the CPC:  (Yep, I was tired from a banquet on Saturday night, stayed up waaaay too late and then left the house at 6:00 a.m.! smilewinkgrin )

https://skydrive.live.com/?mkt=en-US#cid=1F3A89DCB68822AE&id=1F3A89DCB68822AE%21105

It was really well attended, great event for a great cause.  The guest MC was NBC/Chicago news anchor Dick Johnson, and I believe they did a piece on it for the evening news last night - but since I live in Wisconsin I didn't get to see that.

 

This coming Sunday will be the 9th Annual SEA Blue Walk / Run in downtown Chicago and I'll be there as well.

I also understand the free screening and info day on Friday went well, I believe 75 guys hooked up for that.

Posted 9/9/2013 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Yooper,
Hey you look great, all dressed up for the party. Glad you had a good time and that it was well attended.
You look like you are ready for a fight with cancer. Work out a lot?

I drove over to the west coast of Florida for the Miles for Men race in Clearwater Saturday night at 6:30. We walked/ran 5K/10K from the Morton Meese Hospital over the bridge towards Clearwater Beach and back at sunset. It was beautiful! There were about 500 people being escorted by the Clearwater Police over the bridge and back. They even had kids 100 yard races. Papa Johns was a sponsor, gave out free pizza. If I knew how to post some pictures, I would.

Next up for me is the Zero Run at the beach in Hollywood, FL 9/29.

Good job,

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/9/2013 8:55 PM (GMT 0)

A Yooper said...
Participated in the 2013 Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago's Walk / Run yesterday. Found a really cool shirt and bandana for the occasion - link to a pic of me in front of the CPC: (Yep, I was tired from a banquet on Saturday night, stayed up waaaay too late and then left the house at 6:00 a.m.! [img]/community/emoticons/smilewinkgrin.gif[/img] )
https://skydrive.live.com/?mkt=en-US#cid=1F3A89DCB68822AE&id=1F3A89DCB68822AE%21105

It was really well attended, great event for a great cause. The guest MC was NBC/Chicago news anchor Dick Johnson, and I believe they did a piece on it for the evening news last night - but since I live in Wisconsin I didn't get to see that.

This coming Sunday will be the 9th Annual SEA Blue Walk / Run in downtown Chicago and I'll be there as well.


I also understand the free screening and info day on Friday went well, I believe 75 guys hooked up for that.

i like the look Yooper...
Posted 9/9/2013 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
LOL Bill and DavidG - not my normal look - wanted to make my own statement on kicking the beast's @$$ and getting the Word out there!
Posted 9/9/2013 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Bill from FL,

You did great, my friend, very happy to read that you did your part in Clearwater. Wish I had the ability to walk or run 5k. Even 1k would be an ordeal for me. Sounds like you had a great turnout.

Years back, when I was fighting my 3 former bouts of cancer (non-PC), I was involved in many of the ACS events and rallies. However, I have long stopped supporting the ACS for a variety of reasons.

Now that my big game day is history, eager to see if the hospital group is still putting together some regular speaking engagements for me.

David
Posted 9/10/2013 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
David,
Thanks for the comments, I thought of you often Saturday and wondered how you managed at the Clemson game. Sounds like you made the best of a bad situation to get the message out. You should be commended for your efforts and you EARNED that football trophy. Display it prominently.

The purpose of this thread was to get ourselves out of our recliners and out of the house this month, to get the message delivered to those men who may have PCa but don't know it. To get the message to their partners so they could deliver our message.

You sure did your part as did others so far this month. Now to everyone else out there, what are you doing?


Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/10/2013 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
I just sent a letter to the paper in nearby Waukegan, IL, reminding everyone that September is prostate cancer awareness month.  It reads like this:

 

"You'd never know it, but September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month.  Prostate cancer will kill between 28,000 and 30,000 American men this year.  Yes, prostate cancer claims nearly as many men's lives as breast cancer claims women's.  You just don't see blue prostate cancer awareness items.  At least not the way we all see pink breast cancer awareness items.  If detected early, prostate cancer can be cured.  After it becomes symptomatic, it can be treated but not cured.  Men, quit putting off that PSA test.  Women, insist your men learn about their bodies and understand the simple blood test that can detect problems in the prostate.  I'm lucky.  I nearly waited too long to see a urologist but by the grace of God am considered "cured."  Do it now, for  yourself and for the ones you love."

 

And, Yooper, I think you should wear that outfit to work tomorrow and see how the co-workers react.  Looks great. 

Post Edited (clocknut) : 9/9/2013 8:43:22 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/10/2013 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Clock, great post and thanks for doing that letter to the Waukegan paper!!!! Let me know if/when it hits the press as my company has a subcription and I'd love to see it out there.

It's still a darn shame the "Blue" doesn't get the press it deserves. . . . Although I do have to say I was impressed with the crew from ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" yesterday as most of the guys were wearing blue ties! Ray Lewis even sported a blue lapel flower. Having said that - no one bothered to comment on WHY they were wearing the blue. . . .

And Clock, can't wear the outfit to work tomorrow, got a major customer/medical OEM visiting and i haven't met this group yet!
Posted 9/10/2013 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
Clock - excellent message, very blunt and to the point, loved it! Good work

Bill in FL - yeah, the way the Clemson thing turned out, I felt like I was on a special ops mission in the military. The easiest thing to do, was to take one look at the difficulties, and say, you know, I can't do this and simply change my mind. But that is not my mode of operation, ever in life. I stick to my deals, no matter what. The only reason I wouldn't have gone through with it, had I been in the ER or in a hospital room. Other than that, I did what you or anyone else would have done, I adapted to the new reality, and toughed it out. Mission accomplished.

I did right a polite, but tough letter to the marketing director, thanking them on one hand, and expounding on the negative parts, not that it helps me now, but for them to consider the next time
they put someone in my shape out on the front lines like that. All of this could have been avoided, their excuse, the standard "miscommunications". Sure wasn't on my end. I made my special needs very vocal and very clear in advance.

David
Posted 9/10/2013 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Clock,

Can I borrow those words for a mass email at work and a possible facebook post?

Jerry
Posted 9/10/2013 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
I will be running a 10 k race decked out in blue ribbons and bracelets. I thought of a Pca slogan much like the breast cancer "save 2nd base" I don't think anyone will wear a shirt that says save the wet spot
Posted 9/10/2013 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Todd, good luck on that race, to me, 10k sounds like a million miles to me, I admire anyone that can do that. I think that is like a little over 6 miles if I remember metric stuff.
Posted 9/10/2013 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
yeah.... 6.2 miles. In my younger days I paced alberto salizar for the first two miles of a 10k. Gosh that guy can run. When the time keeper at the 2 mile mark said 9:54....9:55.... 9:56 I said the heck with trying to beat the guy and went back to my 6 minute mile pace....... The dude wasn't even breathing hard.
Posted 9/10/2013 3:30 AM (GMT 0)
Clock that was a great idea. All it took was the time to put the pen to the paper, or fingers on the keyboard to get the message out to thousands.

Both of my sisters had breast cancer, but I'm sorry, I have almost seen enough of the pink army! My company every year supports breast cancer awareness as a corporate fund raising event. The past 2 years they start promoting in September and go through October. I am in retail and they have the guest service counter all decorated in pink this year. Two of us are PCa survivors and the office manager's father is also. She is upset about the compay forgeting about "da Boys ".

What about us? When is the NFL going to join our fight?

I was in a Miles For Men walk/run Saturday and the last 100 yards of the course they had made signs that were stuck in the ground that had some great messages.

"To the amazing men we know and love, we run for THEIR lives!"

"The chances of survival are HIGH if symptoms are detected early "

"Real men get their PSA tested"

"PCa is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men"

"Every 2.1 minutes another man is diagnosed with prostate cancer"

I don't know where they came up with the last one, maybe that is in the WORLD.

Yooper,
I missed the NFL Countdown. What is with those guys not mentioning the reason for their "Blue"? It is like noone wants to talk about PCa.
I saw a lady in the race Saturday wearing a shirt that said "Prostate Cancer S*cks!" at least she grew a pair. yeah

Any way, keep up the good job. I lived in Houston years ago when they had the Houston Oilers and their motto was Luv 'ya Blue!!! Need to use that motto now for our cause.


Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/10/2013 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
Bill in FL

You just posted:

"The chances of survival are HIGH if symptoms are detected early "

"Real men get their PSA tested"

"PCa is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men"

"Every 2.1 minutes another man is diagnosed with prostate cancer"

Gee, doesn't that make a good base for early PSA testing and prostate screening, that's still what it is all about, despite the endless debate on OD. It isn't rocket science, it's really this simple, and I wish it would stay this way. That's how men's lives are going to be saved from PC in the long run. Keep it simple.

David
Posted 9/10/2013 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry L.  Sure, you can use what I wrote in any way you want.  Add, edit, delete, whatever you want.  I could have said a lot more, but the particular column I sent those words to wants brief, pithy comments only.

We'll see if they choose to publish the comments. 

Todd, those are some really great times you've run.  When I was into running, I was an 8-minute per mile guy on a good day. Six-minute miles is blazing!

Congratulations to everyone in this thread for making an effort to promote awareness.

Posted 9/10/2013 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
I was much younger back then clock. I can still run 7's but prefer
7.5's. I wish I could still still run that fast but after having lung mets just being able to finish is a miracle.
Posted 9/10/2013 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was never a long distance runner, but decided to run the "Al McGuire Run" back in the 80's (yes, when I was a bit younger!). It was a 5-miler back then, and for a great cause. A friend talked me into it and the adrenalin rush allowed me to finish exactly at 35:00:00.

Had something happen to me that day that I had never felt before as well; the finish line came into view at about 200 yards out, and I was so pumped up that I thought I would just go full out to finish - and to my absolute shock and awe the body wasn't able to amp it up any further! Weirdest darn thing I've ever felt as my body has always responded!
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