Hearing the News: When a Friend Tells You He Has Prostate Cancer

"I was diagnosed with prostate cancer."

As men in our 50s and climbing, we don't talk about this enough -- not until it hits close to home.

I asked him what he felt that made him go to the doctor. His answer?

"Nothing. I felt fine. I just went in for my annual checkup -- that's how they caught it."

That shook me. Honestly, I've been a little careless about my own annual checkups. But now, hearing this from someone just like me -- someone I know -- made me realize that I could be next. And if you're a man in your 50s (or even your 40s), maybe this is your wake-up call too.

I didn't expect to start writing about prostate cancer on this blog, but maybe it's time. Not as a doctor or an expert -- but as someone trying to learn and stay alive. My friend reminded me that prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. That's not something we can afford to ignore.

So I'm opening this new chapter here -- not just to process what I'm learning, but to bring you along. Because we need to talk about this. We need to be aware. And we need to take our health seriously -- before we're forced to.

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