Movember

“And how did you know?”

Almost everyone has asked me just that when I’ve told them I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“I Didn’t.”

“?”

“You don’t notice it, or you don’t notice it until it’s advanced.”

“OK, so how did you know then?”

“PSA level had gone up.”

“The what level?”

I could continue the dialogue for quite some time. But just so you don’t have to read on for so long here are the two key messages:

Number one, of course, goes only to men and is, “Get your PSA level checked regularly.”

The second (but you don’t have to be a man for this): I’m asking you, now, in November 2023, to make a small donation to the Movember Foundation, which works worldwide to raise funds for testicular and prostate cancer research and cure and distribute them to national research institutions.

You can donate by scanning the QR code in the pictute at the top or by clicking here: https://movember.com/m/14780321?mc=1

OK, so if you do want to read on, I’ll tell you a bit more about my motivations and back story.

Since I was in my forties, I have had regular cancer check-ups with my family doctor. This included, among other things, the determination of the so-called PSA value. I am not a medical doctor and do not want to explain here in detail what exactly the PSA value is. Only this much: It stands as an abbreviation for “prostate specific antigen” and is measured as a blood value like Cholesterol. If you are going somewhere for a blood test anyway, ask for your PSA value to be determined at the same time. If you hear my personal favorite sentence at the doctor’s office, “The health insurance doesn’t cover that,” pay for it yourself first. It costs a few euros and in relation to how you could save yourself, it’s nothing.

My PSA level was stable for a long time and then started to rise. That’s how the cancer was detected, and not too early either. During treatment I met many men with the same fate and learned a few things that I think are important and summarize here:

– Find a doctor or urologist you trust. Have your PSA level determined. Have your result explained to you. Monitor the result annually. Listen to your doctor.

– If it’s getting serious, which I don’t wish on you and is not at all likely, there have been men who have told me that their doctor declared the PSA value to be nonsense and referred to the “I’m going to check your prostate by feeling it” diagnosis. Insist on the PSA determination anyway, and if he refuses, change doctors for your sake. Certainly, this method has its justification, but my cancer was not palpable.

– If you are unsure, get another doctor’s opinion and advice.

– Follow your feeling, but not your fear.

– Stay away from the internet, there is a lot of general nonsense about prostate cancer. You will get to know the good sites over time.

– Medical care for cancer is very good in Germany. I’m a patient with health insurance.

– Psychological help is just as important, take it if you can get it or look for it. Tip: in our country the care for the psyche is very underwhelming. Start looking right away, it can take months to get a place.

– You are not alone. After I started talking to friends, acquaintances and colleagues and mentioned my diagnosis, I often heard: “Me too”. Talking helps.

– If you should have an operation (I don’t wish this on you and it is unlikely, see above), you are entitled, at least in Germany, to follow-up treatment. Most people also call it rehab. Do this by all means, no matter what your head says. It will help you immensely.

So, that’s it for now.

Oh, right, Movember.

During a conversation in the hospital, a female doctor mentioned that her colleagues always grow a moustache in November and declare it Men’s Health Month. I thought it was a funny idea, so I did some research. Last year I donated to the Movembers and resolved to start my own little fundraising campaign for it this year. This is the beginnning.

You can find out what exactly the Movember Foundation is and does on their excellent website. Even better: Watch the short film here, how Movember supported a project of the Sporthochschule Köln (Sport University Cologne), which is just round the corner from my place – brilliant!

In any case, your donation is an important contribution to help men not to die too early of cancer or to kill themselves because of it. Unfortunately, a lot of men do this, and you can find a creepy statistic on this topic at Movember.

Yes, that’s all I have to say about it. I’m happy if you can contribute three euros or maybe even ten to make the world a little better at this point. I have set a goal of 1,000 euros for this November Movember campaign. We can do that! You’ll see the progress when you donate.

Now I almost forgot about the Movember moustache: I will grow a moustache in November for the first time in my life – until the big shave-off on the first of December. Fun has already started. My wife has announced as a precaution that there will be no more kisses…. The ends one goes to for the good cause. I will report progress on Instagram.