Keeping an Eye on Your Prostate
November 14, 2011, By Jim Higley 0 comments
I volunteer with a really cool cancer non-profit group, Imerman Angels 1-on-1 Cancer Support. As a prostate cancer survivor warrior, I'm matched, on a regular basis, with other young dads dealing with the same, crappy disease I was diagnosed with a few years ago.
In my role as their "mentor" I'm there to give moral support, lend an emotional shoulder and simply be there as a friend they can turn to during their newly minted cancer journey. I'm the guy they can shoot straight with. I'm there to share practical first-hand information based on my experiences. And I'm there to offer a much-needed empathetic ear.
It's a role I love. And hate.
I love it because I always know I am helping another forty-something-year-old dad in a way no one else can. When we first connect, these guys are always eager to share their story. I know they're thinking it's unique, surreal and unbelievable. And I think to myself nearly every time, "Wow, I've heard this story before."
There are usually three subjects most of them talk about:
- "I'm in great shape."
- "I don't have any bad habits."
- "I had no symptoms."
Welcome to early-age prostate cancer, men.
When I was going through my cancer journey, I did it alone. Sure, there were a couple of kind seventy-something-year-old guys who were living with prostate cancer that told me everything would be okay. And while I appreciated their kindness, their journey is nothing like the journey a younger prostate cancer patient is taking. As a younger guy, you deal with so many issues that most doctors don't fully explain. They tell you about the risk of impotence and incontinence, but the specifics and sub-topics under those are broad—and I've yet to meet a young guy dealing with prostate cancer who doesn't want to hear every single detail based on my own experience.
It's a great gift to be able to help another dad. That's why I love volunteering.
