September Awareness

I've just got to add something here. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Men don't talk about these things like women do, so everyone on earth knows October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but not many people out there know that 1 in 6 men will develop prostate cancer in some form during their lifetime.

This, like breast cancer, is an increasingly treatable, easily detectable cancer. In fact, early detection is key. Most men over the ages or 45 to 50 ought to be tested as part of a yearly checkup--if we can get them to have a yearly checkup. Women don't like mammograms, or especially pap tests (you know what I'm talking about) but we do them nonetheless because we know how important it is. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take the time to encourage the men in your life to get themselves screened.

My Dad, pictured above at Christmas, 2005, passed away in June. We got five more wonderful years with him because he was sensible enough to have himself screened, and was courageous in getting treatment. So, do, talk to your menfolk. See if you can get him to do it for you, for your kids, for your grandkids, siblings, his mom, and also for my kind, brave, much-missed Dad. It's really important.

ta,

Anne