Conquer Prostate Cancer Now

Are you (or someone you love) a prostate cancer patient or survivor?

• Learn about prostate cancer treatment options and new research.
• Get a free prostate health coaching session with Rabbi Ed.
• Learn to deal with urological or sexual dysfunction, pain or stress.
• Discover how to cope with prostate cancer – see my Good Morning America interview.
• Find out what to say when your doctor doesn’t listen – see my ABC-TV interview.
• Be inspired by uplifting quotes and humor.
• Share your views and concerns by posting questions or comments.

As I explain in my own prostate cancer treatment story, I aim to address your concerns in an informative, upbeat manner. I hope you gain both knowledge and inspiration from this site. Please let me know how I can help you on your own journey to conquer prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Treatment and Viagra - A Birthday Gift (Humor)

Whether you have had prostate cancer treatment or not, Viagra is a birthday gift that might excite your interest. This is illustrated in the following humorous anecdote:

Two older gentlemen were having an animated conversation.
One said to the other: "My birthday was yesterday. My wife gave me an SUV.”
The other guy replied: "Wow, that's amazing! Imagine, an SUV! What a great gift!"
The first guy explained: "Yup. Socks, Underwear and Viagra!"

Got Prostate Cancer? Become an Active Member of Your Healthcare Team!

Please join me for a free telephone support session to explore how cancer patients can use powerful questions to elicit their doctors’ attention and a better understanding of their needs and issues. These techniques help reduce patient passivity and improve doctor-patient communication.

Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time
(8:00 p.m. Central, 7:00 p.m. Mountain, 6:00 p.m. Pacific time)

Don't worry if you aren't available during the call - you will receive a link to the recorded version of the session afterward, along with links to previous support calls.

To receive the call-in instructions for this free session, just enter your name and email address below. If there's a question that you would like to have answered on the call, please enter it in the space below.

In this 45-minute free presentation you will learn:

• How to become an active member of your healthcare team.

• Why it’s crucial to interact with your doctor not just as a healthcare expert, but as your healthcare partner.

• The two qualities physicians must have to earn your confidence and trust.

• The power of questions to make sure your concerns and needs are met.

• Why it’s important to have your spouse or partner join you during your visits to healthcare providers.

• When patients should insist on a second opinion, and why doctors should welcome such requests.

I hope you can join me on September 16!

Prostate Cancer Treatment - Is Surgery Right for You? (Part 2)

There is no easy way to answer whether surgery is right for prostate cancer patients. In part that's because prostate cancer, for most men, is actually a chronic condition rather than a short-term, life-threatening event. However, many men, regardless of age, feel strongly that they want to get the cancer out of their bodies before it might do more harm. If you are among such individuals, then surgery is worth exploring, but so is radiotherapy.

Prostate Cancer Treatment - Is Surgery Right for You? (Part 1)

Choosing the best prostate cancer treatment is a complex matter. For that reason I’d like to review some treatment options in a two-part series, starting with the material below.  I invite you to share your experiences and views in the comment section after the second part of this dialogue, which I’ll post tomorrow.

Prostate cancer surgery is just one of many prostate cancer treatments. But a large number of new patients select surgery, including up to 50,000 of 200,000 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients every year in the USA alone.

Whether surgery is right for you as a newly diagnosed prostate cancer patient, depends on a number of factors. This is underscored in my response to a relatively young man, who asked me whether surgery was best for him. His question and my answer follow.

Prostate Cancer and Pregnancy - Question and Answers

Q: A woman who wants to get pregnant and have another child recently asked, “If my husband had prostate cancer and surgery, can we still have a baby? 

A: The question is quite pertinent, since of 200,000 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients each year, one-third are Boomers, namely men between age 45 and 64. A number of Boomers, and some Seniors as well, may include those who are married to younger women who are still in their child-bearing years at the time their husbands get prostate cancer.

How Can I Help You?

In my mission to help prostate cancer patients, survivors and those who love them, I would like to find out how I can best meet your needs:

• What are your biggest challenges related to prostate cancer and its after effects?

• What can I do to make this website more informative and useful for you?

• What topics would you like for me to cover on this site and in my free telephone support sessions?

• How can I better meet your needs?

Just use the Comment area below to let me know how I can help you meet the challenges of prostate cancer and its aftermath. Thank you!

Prostate Cancer and Other Health Matters

Prostate cancer and other health concerns are topics I’ll address head-on during August, which is turning out to be a busy month for me in the media.

Recently I pre-recorded a broadcast on coping with prostate cancer. Joining me was a urologist in Maine. As you’ll hear for yourself when you join me, the doc and I agreed on ALMOST everything! That joint interview will be aired on three radio stations in Maine at the end of this month (August) and throughout September. 

Also this month I’m getting ready to video-record a motivational speech which I’ll deliver “live” online on the last Thursday night of August   (Aug. 26th 7 pm). That webinar will give me a chance to present my thoughts on "redesigning your life" for better health. I refer not only not only to prostate issues, but also to weight loss and other widespread health concerns.

All this will happen in time for September as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, proclaimed annually by the White House.

Stay tuned for further details at this blog and at my Twitter and Facebook pages.

--Rabbi Ed

Conquer Prostate Cancer Wristbands Now Available

"Conquer Prostate Cancer" wristbands are now available from Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, the oldest and largest non-profit peer support organization dedicated to assisting men and their families battle a prostate cancer diagnosis. Us Too has recently announced a “Conquer Prostate Cancer” public awareness and fundraising campaign, featuring the wristband, created by fashion designer and cancer survivor Joseph Bruno.

Fashioned from genuine black braided leather, the wristband can be adjusted to fit any size wrist and is detailed with a non-tarnish silver-finish medallion marked with the blue ribbon symbolizing the fight against prostate cancer.

The wristband is available for $25 with all net proceeds going to Us TOO, International.

Masturbation and Prostate Cancer - The Bible Does Not Tell Me So!

Reader's Question:

If masturbation is against the Bible how come people get prostate cancer if they don’t masturbate?       -- “Brian”(a teenager)

Rabbi Ed’s Answer:

Prostate cancer and masturbation are often discussed together. But usually in terms of whether masturbation in your early years will prevent prostate cancer or make it worse later on in life. It's rare that someone asks if masturbation can cause prostate cancer because the Bible tells us so.

Prostate Cancer Surgery and Visualization

When prostate cancer surgery is imminent, visualization is a mind-body technique that can allay anxiety. For particulars see my response to a prostate cancer patient, who recently raised a question all of us can relate to. 

Question:

I'm worried about the prostate cancer surgery I have to go through. I was recently diagnosed with a high Gleason score and was told to schedule my surgery soon. This has made me very anxious. What can I do to get over my panic?