I don't usually RANT.....but...

We are raising our status to YELLOW alert!

So...we don't get it. A new study by the Federal Government says that men should not check themselves, much like that recent study says that women shouldn't check their breasts or get tested before a certain age, unless there is history in the family, or there might be risks outside normal parameters...etc. WHAT? The study says that people are getting tested unnecessarily, it costs too much, and the stress of wondering if you have cancer outweighs the incidents of actual testicular cancer. Every hour of every day a young man hears the the news, "You have testicular cancer." Hey, stress a little and be wrong, rather than find out it was something and it has spread.

They recommend asking your doctor to perform the exam during the once-a-year wellness visit. As they say in England...BOLLOCKS! What about all the people who don't go to the doctor once a year? Here is a fact: White males get testicular cancer more than African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians. Why? No one knows. But here is another fact. While White males get it more often, minorities die from it more frequently. Why? Because they often do not seek medical care, and minorities as a percentage are more likely to be uninsured. I always wonder who the people are who conduct these tests...don't you? Most testicular cancers are found by men themselves* found by the patient or their partner. It needs to be caught early so it can be cured. For sure, ONLY a doctor can accurately diagnose what is going on, but doctors are too busy. Most doctors we have spoken to don't even ask their patients about testicles during a routine exam (we are trying to change that by the way). Will the doctor remember how you felt last year? What if you find something a month after your last visit? Are you supposed to wait eleven months before going back?

Sean Kimerling to whom this site is in memoriam was diagnosed with testicular cancer and he died thirty days later. Who knows how long he actually had the cancer? What if he had information earlier? Our position is simple...CHECK YOURSELF, regularly, at least once a month. You know your body better than a doctor who sees you for 25 minutes once a year.

What happened to "IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING!?" So if you find yourself in Washington DC passing the Department of Health and Human Services, grab your balls and tell them it is your right to check yourself. We are supposed to take more responsibility for our health, and having information is power. And IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING SEE SOMEONE...we want you around.

Like the seatbelt law, if it saves one life, it is worthwhile.

Be a man self-exam.
* http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/testicular (see number 3)

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written by Steve, June 15, 2010

If I had followed this advice, I would not be alive today.

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