Movember – Grow Your Moustache, Beard and Pay Attention

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By Mary Ellen Psaltis

It’s No-Shave November or “Movember,” a month to bring awareness to prostate cancer and prostate health. Jim Kiefert already has a beard and moustache. He also already has prostate cancer. He’s been raising his awareness of everything prostate for over 25 years. It’s time to join him. As a woman I don’t have a prostate gland, but I do have dear men in my life. Knowing about prostate cancer is everyone’s business.

prostate cancer awareness
Jim Kiefert has beat the odds against prostate cancer.

For local resident Jim Kiefert, the journey began when he was having a routine physical exam. There was a newer test available called a PSA, which stands for Prostate-Specific Antigen. His wife, Mo, encouraged him to do it. The results were startling, as his level was high (30 instead of 4). Further tests uncovered prostate cancer. Though the doctor told him he had one to three years to live, Kiefert was enough of a mathematician to know that short side of a bell curve included survivors. “Somebody has to populate the mean,” he thought confidently.

His attitudes, life style and treatments have carried him far. Kiefert recently celebrated his 25th anniversary since being diagnosed. That is a third of his life. He’s still going strong.

The cancer diagnosis propelled Kiefert, a life-long educator, on a journey that continues to take him across the globe from Australia to Paris to Brussels and back across the U.S. He testifies in Washington, D.C. for the FDA as a patient representative. He works with the Department of Defense research team and is part of a special consortium dedicated to measuring health outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer. Kiefert also leads an Us TOO education and support group. There’s more, but you get the idea.

Here are couple myths about prostate cancer:

Myth: Only old men get prostate cancer.

As with many myths, there can be grains of truth. Yes, old men do get it, but Kiefert knew a local man who died at 52. Though unusual, one man died at 18. Kiefert was diagnosed at age 50, but had he been tested 5 years sooner, it’s likely that that the earlier treatment would have left him cancer free. Options and outcomes are better the sooner the cancer is identified. Some men don’t do anything until they have bone pain. By then the cancer has dangerously advanced.

Myth: If I’m a man and I live long enough I’ll get prostate cancer, so why get a PSA test?

The PSA is a biomarker. It does not tell if you have cancer or not. It’s suggested to have your first test done when you are 45 (or 40 if you have a family history or are African American). This provides you with a base line number to compare with subsequent to as you age. The number has significance, but more importantly it’s the progression or acceleration of the number.

At the time the PSA is measured, the doctor can also do a digital rectal exam (DRE). Yes, people make lots of jokes about this to dispel the discomfort. However, it allows the doctor to actually touch one side of the gland through the rectal tissue. Important information – I can understand that men aren’t clamoring for this examination, but these 2-3 minutes can save your life.

jim kiefert
Jim Kiefert, along with his wife Mo, are focused on awareness and education surrounding prostate cancer.

So – what’s the shaving/no shaving about?

When it all started in Australia, it was about people collecting sponsors to pay to shave off moustaches. The money went to prostate cancer research. As the idea moved across the world, it was still about raising money, but in certain places it was about growing the most magnificent moustache. For some, it’s just about leaving the razor in the drawer for a month. With regard to facial hair – you can do whatever you want.

What else can you do?

  • Get yourself or the men in your life signed up for their check up. You can get your cholesterol checked at the same time, as well as your blood pressure. These are all important numbers to know.
  • Choose fresh whole fruits and vegetables. Eats lots of them.
  • Move your body.
  • Notice your thoughts. Replace a few negative thoughts with positive one. Cultivate a profound attitude of gratitude. Optimistic people remain healthier longer and recover more quickly.
  • Manage your stress. Walk, meditate, practice yoga, pay your bills, clear up your spaces, speak positive affirmations, and breath deeply. Read Bernie Siegel’s Love, Medicine and Miracles. Kiefert spends time in his gardens, reads, rows his dingy around Lake St. Claire and spends time with grandchildren. Rumor has it he’s been known to share a Dairy Queen with his grandson. Have fun.
  • Grow love in your life and make connections with others.

See how many bushy beards and marvelous moustaches you find this November. Become more prostate aware. Our college-aged son joined the beard-growers three Novembers ago and my husband also put his razor aside. It was a furry month. My husband still sports a handsome, nicely trimmed beard. We all learned about prostate health. To learn more about Us TOO nationally, click here.

Eat Well – Be Well

 

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