# It's almost Movember!



## maryannette (Oct 30, 2009)

Some guys I work with are participating in this campaign to raise funds for and awareness of prostate and testicular cancers. (Testee would appreciate this.) I had never heard of it until today. Anybody else participating?

http://us.movember.com/about/


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## maryannette (Oct 30, 2009)

Hmmmmm. ...

I guess there does need to be a campaign to raise awareness and make it easier for men to talk about personal health issues.


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## wilheldp_PE (Oct 30, 2009)

This guy talks about his fight with breast cancer.


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## maryannette (Oct 30, 2009)

Yes, men can get breast cancer.


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## csb (Oct 30, 2009)

Co-worker just found out last week that he has prostate cancer. We have had more uncomfortable talks in the last week than I ever imagined, but it's been good to keep his spirits up. He's laughing a lot about it in general, when it's really pretty scary.


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## kevo_55 (Oct 30, 2009)

^^ My Dad had it last year. He had surgery and basically had to wear a diaper for a while. He is cance free now.

He made so much fun of himself. With that sort of diagnosis, that is all you can do.

Thanks for posting this Mary!


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## FLBuff PE (Oct 30, 2009)

My dad had prostate caner and surgery about 13 years ago. He was cancer free for 12 years, then his PSA number started creeping up last year. He had a bone scan to make sure the cancer was not spreading last summer (very scary time for me). He had localized radiation, and is now cancer free again. No matter how unpleasant, once you reach your 40's, get the exam from your doctor on a yearly basis!


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## csb (Oct 30, 2009)

We were talking about how big it is and what it looks like, so I Googled "prostate" and got the above image. I told my co-worker I found his problem- if his doctor would just get his finger out of there, he'd be able to pee. Later we were talking about his options (surgery, radioactive seeds, radiation) and when we were talking about surgery I said, "How do they get to it?" and he said, "Well, kinda in between..." and I said, "They go through your taint? Wait, am I allowed to say taint at work?" Then we had a good laugh. He's nervous about the surgery, because of the diaper/bag of pee issue.


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## EM_PS (Oct 30, 2009)

^ they really only use one finger!? not it what seems like. .



FLBuff PE said:


> No matter how unpleasant, once you reach your 40's, get the exam from your doctor on a yearly basis!


yeah unfortunately, i need to go in for this yet this year. My previous doc said every other year is kinda the rule till 45 or something, but you can come every year if you want! Hmmm, not a tuff choice - but yes, i will cuz it is more proactive &amp; makes wife not carp at me for _never_ seeing our family physician unless i'm taking the kids in or something


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## testee (Oct 30, 2009)

Mary :) said:


> Some guys I work with are participating in this campaign to raise funds for and awareness of prostate and testicular cancers. (Testee would appreciate this.) I had never heard of it until today. Anybody else participating?
> http://us.movember.com/about/


I am singular you know


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## FLBuff PE (Oct 30, 2009)

csb said:


> We were talking about how big it is and what it looks like, so I Googled "prostate" and got the above image. I told my co-worker I found his problem- if his doctor would just get his finger out of there, he'd be able to pee. Later we were talking about his options (surgery, radioactive seeds, radiation) and when we were talking about surgery I said, "How do they get to it?" and he said, "Well, kinda in between..." and I said, "They go through your taint? Wait, am I allowed to say taint at work?" Then we had a good laugh. He's nervous about the surgery, because of the diaper/bag of pee issue.


The surgery and post-op are better than the cancer winning.



error_matrix said:


> ^ they really only use one finger!? not it what seems like. .
> 
> yeah unfortunately, i need to go in for this yet this year. My previous doc said every other year is kinda the rule till 45 or something, but you can come every year if you want! Hmmm, not a tuff choice - but yes, i will cuz it is more proactive &amp; makes wife not carp at me for _never_ seeing our family physician unless i'm taking the kids in or something


Do it for your kids! It has been very stressful on me to watch my dad go through it, but I can't imagine what it would have been like if the docs hadn't caught it early.


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## csb (Oct 30, 2009)

The whole thing looks like the guy is ringing a doorbell.

Co-worker is not so sure he wants to do surgery first, as opposed to trying radiation first. I told him surgery first was my advice (as a Professional Engineer with no prostate), because if the cancer has spread, they can see it. Radiation doesn't give them that same luxury.


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## Supe (Oct 30, 2009)

Rectum? Damn near killed him!

Seriously though, they found polyps when my father went and he went into panic mode. Turned out to be nothing. I've had so much go wrong with me thus far, I'll have one before I turn 30. Definitely can't stress the importance of checking up on what seems like something that can be brushed off. Nobody in a million years expected me to have thyroid cancer when I did, and if I hadn't checked it, they told me I wouldn't have made it out of my 20's. Scary thought, especally when you're talking about an hour at the doc's office having the potential to save a life.


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## FLBuff PE (Oct 30, 2009)

csb said:


> The whole thing looks like the guy is ringing a doorbell.
> Co-worker is not so sure he wants to do surgery first, as opposed to trying radiation first. I told him surgery first was my advice (as a Professional Engineer with no prostate), because if the cancer has spread, they can see it. Radiation doesn't give them that same luxury.


Radiation definitely is NOT a cake walk. It is frought with it's own symptoms, none of them pleasant. I also recommend surgery first. I'm not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. OK, not really, but I DO have a PE stamp!


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## csb (Oct 30, 2009)

I told him the same thing about radiation- my friend has just gone through surgery, radioactive pill and then radiation for thyroid cancer and the most brutal one was the radiation. It burned her skin and made it nearly impossible to eat. Granted, it was all near her throat, but I can't imagine it's much gentler down there.


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## TouchDown (Oct 30, 2009)

I had an unusually uncomfortable conversation with my uncle about how sad I was that he wasn't going to be able to make it to my mom's 70th birthday and that we missed him. He went into the TMI zone when he began talking in too much depth about his prostate (has cancer and is in treatment now with the radiation "plugs" they place in the prostate)... and how his body is handling it.

It's been probably 7 or 8 years since I've been checked out but it does run in my family.

And instead of Movember, I've heard of Proctober... but they changed the date or something this year to November instead of October, so I guess they had to have a new name?


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## maryannette (Oct 30, 2009)

I think men in general are more uncomfortable talking about health problems, especially when it involves sensitive issues. But, I think it's better than it used to be. Too many easy ways to take care of yourself to let some disease take you out.


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## tymr (Oct 30, 2009)

^ I agree. My dad had prostate cancer and by the time they diagnosed the prostate cancer he was already in advanced stage bone cancer. Eighteen months just isn't long enough to say good bye. We have since found out that the type of cancer he had is highly herititary so all of the men in our family have been advised to get checked before 40.


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## Road Guy (Oct 31, 2009)

This is a good idea , more men die of prostate cancer than women do of breast cancer, yet no one seems to take notice or care much. Seen all the pink stuff on the NFL games?

My grandfather and dad had pollups removed so I get to look forward to yearly exams with a camer when I turn 40 in a few years,

"you using the whole fist doc?"


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## benbo (Oct 31, 2009)

I'll be getting my annual PSA and fickle finger of fate award in a couple months. I'm not really sure how necessary that physical test is since they have the blood test, although I know they can find other benign prostate enlargement as well. But they are even rethinking how often people should have these tests because in a lot of cases prostate cancer is over diagnosed and over treated. My father had some sort of benign prostate enlargement a long time ago and they did some sort of roto-rooter process that I think would now be completely unnecessary.

I think I heard that if they live long enough most men will get prostate cancer at some point, but that in general it is so slow growing that it won't do anything. In fact, I think that after the age of 80 they often don't do anything about elevated PSAs because they figure something else will kill you first. The probelm is that they have a hard time discerning between fast growing and normal prostate cancer.


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2009)

My supervisor from my first job was diagnosed with prostate cancer @ 60 yrs old (about 5 yrs ago). He had the surgery and has been doing well ever since - he even showed up to my wedding shower to wish me well on marriage #2!  I have known a number of people where it didn't work out as well. Early detection + diagnosis goes a long way towards offering you more options and oppotunities. 

FWIW - I get 'the check' annually as part of a comprehensive examination since cancer runs in my family, though I started getting that exam as part of my OSHA Medical Monitoring Exam which promised to be a THOROUGH examination.



Mary :) said:


> I think men in general are more uncomfortable talking about health problems, especially when it involves sensitive issues. But, I think it's better than it used to be. Too many easy ways to take care of yourself to let some disease take you out.


I am pretty open about discussing many things; however, I generally don't discuss men's health issues like this since I am not personally/directly affected. It makes it a bit more difficult to talk about without that basis, at least for me. Perhaps it shouldn't be that way but that's where having an awareness month really delivers since it does get people talking about it. 

JR


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## csb (Nov 1, 2009)

Heart disease kills way more women than breast cancer, but it's more fun to talk about boobs and wear pink.

Same for men, but you guys don't seem to really have another risk factor overshadowing that.


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## Dleg (Nov 1, 2009)

I had my first "digital rectal exam" this year. Funny, up until the last minute, I did not fully comprehend what they meant by "digital", and I still don't believe it was just one finger doing all of that....

Excruciating, to say the least. But better than the alternative.


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## maryannette (Nov 2, 2009)

csb said:


> Heart disease kills way more women than breast cancer, ...


My aunt died of breast cancer about 40 years ago. Breast cancer does not kill many now because of awareness and routine exams and testing. Hopefully, one day we will have more early tests and better treatments and no one will need to die of cancer. Same goes for heart disease - many women AND men could be more proactive about heart disease. There are great medicines now, so even if you have risk factors, you can live without fear of heart attack or stroke. The key is to be PROACTIVE!!!


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## TouchDown (Nov 2, 2009)

Dleg said:


> I had my first "digital rectal exam" this year. Funny, up until the last minute, I did not fully comprehend what they meant by "digital", and I still don't believe it was just one finger doing all of that....
> Excruciating, to say the least. But better than the alternative.


Stop clinching, just accept it and back into it a little, say, "ohhh yeah". I find that makes it much more relaxing.


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## EM_PS (Nov 2, 2009)

^ Lol! then do a little chinese finger trap action making the doc really have to yank to get his finger back -

our move necessitated a new family doc, of which she is actually rather attractive (wife really wanted a woman doctor). . . i hope i don't clench up out of nervousness. . .or worse :blush:

it'll be a wash on the size of the fingers though, unfortunately she's got man-hands


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## Dleg (Nov 2, 2009)

^Or worse???? I can only imagine - the "stimulation" part of it makes you feel like you're going to let loose in every possible way, if you know what I mean.


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## EM_PS (Nov 2, 2009)

Heh. I remember reading a letter to the Playboy advisor (way back) where a guy wrote in saying how he had sprung a raging hard-on during a physical he had performed by a female doctor. I don't really remember the quest he had or the response, just thought how hilarious that would be were it to happen in real life. clinical settings don't really scream 'turn-on' for the vast majority.


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## cement (Nov 2, 2009)

ok, show of hands, who has had a colonoscopy?

you think a finger is bad, try a movie camera and a reel of cable!


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## wilheldp_PE (Nov 2, 2009)

cement said:


> ok, show of hands, who has had a colonoscopy?
> you think a finger is bad, try a movie camera and a reel of cable!


My buddy had one last year at age 28. He was having some bleeding problems (we'll leave it at that), so his GP recommended he have a colonoscopy. The proctologist didn't find anything in the scopy, and told my buddy "Don't come back for another 20 years."


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## csb (Nov 3, 2009)

cement said:


> ok, show of hands, who has had a colonoscopy?
> you think a finger is bad, try a movie camera and a reel of cable!


I thought the bad part of that is the cleanse the night before?


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## maryannette (Nov 3, 2009)

cement said:


> ok, show of hands, who has had a colonoscopy?



I have. I'm 51. I think my doctor was shocked when I didn't object to scheduling the procedure. The prep the night before WAS the worst part.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Nov 3, 2009)

My Dad has had radioactive contrast agent tracer shakes before CT scans. Apparently its hell on the lower GI tract, and there's no warning of an impending barium bowel blowout. Lost a good pair of pants that way one time.


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## maryannette (Nov 3, 2009)

eeeewwwwwwwwwwww!


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## roadwreck (Nov 3, 2009)

cement said:


> ok, show of hands, who has had a colonoscopy?
> you think a finger is bad, try a movie camera and a reel of cable!


I've had one, it's really not bad at all. The prep is the worst part and even that isn't that bad.


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## PE-ness (Nov 5, 2009)

^Fag.

(not that there's anything wrong with that)


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## cement (Nov 5, 2009)

wilheldp_PE said:


> My buddy had one last year at age 28. He was having some bleeding problems (we'll leave it at that), so his GP recommended he have a colonoscopy. The proctologist didn't find anything in the scopy, and told my buddy "Don't come back for another 20 years."


that was just about exactly my experience


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## roadwreck (Nov 6, 2009)

PE-ness said:


> ^Fag.


Dick


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## Dleg (Nov 7, 2009)

LOL!


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## maryannette (Nov 8, 2009)

MO!


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## maryannette (Jul 13, 2019)

Bumping this old thread up!

My son-in-law was diagnosed with testicular cancer for the second time 3 weeks ago. The first time was 4 years ago before my daughter married him. I never knew that there was a self-exam. I never knew that testicular cancer is mostly found in young men (18-30 or close to that). Having a close family member talking very openly about testicular health in the last 3 weeks has made me want to share some information with you guys. Check yourselves! If you don't know how, Google it. Testicular cancer is very treatable.


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## Road Guy (Jul 15, 2019)

We are pulling for him Mary and yes test yourself and go to the doc young folks!  I begrudgingly go but Its worth your time.


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