This past weekend I received a text from mother, wishing me a ‘happy anniversary’! Each year it takes me a moment to remember that she is referring to my surgery for testicular cancer 12 years ago. It seems so long ago. Mothers have a way of remembering 🙂
It is unusual for me to discuss an issue like this in my workplace, but occasionally, I have found it very helpful to disclose to men upon hearing that they have cancer. Your world changes when you’re told you have cancer, even in the ‘best’ case scenarios, where the problem is lower risk (as mine was). I understand how my world changed, and when I receive the annual anniversary text from mother, I give pause and am grateful to be healthy. I found my cancer doing a Testicular Self-Examination, and since I’m a urologist I knew what I was feeling and I found it early.
This month is MOVEMBER Men grow a mustache as a symbol of awareness to men’s health and cancer issues. I’m not doing it this year, but have done it in the past. It’s about men taking action about their own health, receiving screening and routine medical care. Sooner is better than later, as it was in my case!
Here’s my MOvember pic from a few years back… No captions please!
