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Somehow it was all worth it... |
Since then I have
got into a routine that reflects the seasons: clean-shaven for the summer, grow
a mo' in Movember, let the rest of the beard grow for the winter, shave clean
again in May.
Between this year
and last I have had another, even more dramatic, loss than merely my beard: I
lost a good, faithful old friend when I had my prostate removed. You could say,
like Pooh Bear said of Eeyore and his tail, I had been rather attached to it.
But I am grateful for modern medicine that enabled me to enjoy the benefits of
keeping my prostate for five years after first being diagnosed with a small,
slow-growing cancer of the prostate. My first PSA test and follow-up visit to
the urologist after the prostatectomy showed a PSA test result of zero - no trace of cancer. But the risk
is still there and I will need these tests for the rest of my life.
So here we are, in
our sixth Movember, promoting awareness of men's health issues, persuading men
to get their physicals and raising funds for prostate cancer research and for
funding programs for men's health, including mental health. See all the beneficiaries in the panel on the right.
I am fortunate to have
a bunch of friends and colleagues, as well as two of my sons, join me to form,
for another Movember...
Wait for it...
Drum roll...
Ta-dah!
The Mo Stashed
Hairiers.
Please encourage
your friends and family to read this blog and, by the way, you could do worse
than click on the "Donate to my team" button. If you personally know one of the
Mo Stashed Hairiers you could click on his name to sponsor him instead of
distributing your donation across the team. If you do choose to sponsor the
whole team, please check the option that says, Split evenly across team
members. As always with charitable donations, Canadian donors will get a tax
receipt for donations over $10.