My column on marionstar.com today

 Here is the column I published in The Marion Star today and on marionstar.com:
Learn from my experience: See your doctor regularly

When I was 41, I had a blood test returned that indicated that I might have prostate cancer. No one was too concerned.

One doctor explained that the blood test was the only factor against me. My age and family history, which are very important, suggested that cancer was not a great possibility.

We kept testing, however, and eventually it was determined that I did have cancer.

I did what my doctors suggested and had surgery to remove my prostate in November of 2001.I was glad I caught the cancer early, before it had a chance to spread, and I was glad I worked at a newspaper.

Until I had a prostate specific antigen test (PSA), I had never heard of one. I had read plenty of articles about prostate cancer. But, I wasn't paying attention. Cancer happened to other people and prostate cancer was an old man's disease.

Since my diagnosis, I have made it a practice to write at least one column a year urging other men to have physicals. I am not arguing for blanket prostate cancer screenings. I am arguing for a healthy relationship with your family physician. Or at least having a family physician.

Having a good relationship with my family physician very likely saved my life.

At the Star, we try very hard to have a locally written editorial each day.

We try to make the topic local and relevant. Sometimes that's a tall order.

Personally, I could write an editorial a day about litter and one way streets, but we don't want to brow beat. Often we just want to spark conversation or pat somebody on the back.

Early in March I was stumped for a topic, when I read a press release on the visit of a giant replica of a colon to a nearby shopping mall.

March is Colorectal Cancer Month. It is also Women's History month and no doubt each day in March has been indicated by someone somewhere as national something-or-other day.

Honestly, if it is not National Muffin Day, it's Bring Your Cat to Work Day.

Colorectal cancer, like prostate cancer, was something that I have read and heard a lot about over the years. It seemed important enough to merit an editorial urging people to be alert to symptoms and to see their doctors if they suspected anything.

When I started typing a list of symptoms into the editorial I started to notice a disturbing trend.

I had a yes answer for each symptom except, of course, the one for unexplained weight loss.

I had been ignoring them, thinking it was a diet thing and that it would pass when I got over my current pierogi and hot dog kick.

I talked to my wife, she called the doctor, we scheduled a colonoscopy and now I am undergoing treatment for rectal cancer.

In the process of diagnosing the rectal cancer we discovered another suspicious mass on one of my kidneys. The diagnosis is still out on that one but it is likely cancer as well.

We are not too alarmed. We have good, aggressive doctors and again, we have caught this one fairly early.

But a day doesn't go by that I don't think about that editorial and about how I was too ignorant to act on what now seem like obvious symptoms.

I am so glad I work for a newspaper. The people I work for are kind and understanding and we have decent insurance.

Most importantly, however, it gives me a chance to use this space to urge all of you to make sure you have a healthy and regular relationship with your doctor. Make sure you are paying attention to your body and are not afraid to ask questions.

Cancer is an awful disease, but it can be beaten. You have to catch it early and you have to be aggressive.

Before summer is over I expect to be back to normal.

And now I know the topic of at least two columns per year.