Movember -- Why Am I Doing This?

Movember -- The Why

Welcome to Movember. This is an attempt to raise awareness about men's health. While I think most of us know what the "right things" are, we apply them inconsistently -- at least I do. By talking about it every day in Movember (and growing facial hair -- hey, I didn't invent the thing), I hope to build a better set of habits. Each day I will post a picture of what should be a hairier and shrinking face. I aim to live healthier to ensure I'm here for my children longer, have the energy needed to help them in all things, and prove to my wife I still have a lot of testosterone.

We have lost a number of family members and friends to cancer.  Donna survived a bout of skin cancer 30 years ago.  There is a positively infinite number of fund raisers, awareness campaigns and media discussions about the disease.  I have to confess having two moments of paranoia myself, one ending with a very pragmatic doctor scolding me for thinking some persistent throat inflammation was a tumor.  But it is a forgivable self-diagnostic leap when it is part of our daily conversation.

Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. John Mikuta, a pioneer in the field of gynocologic oncology.  After he got a glass of ice and pulled the giant flask of pre-made manhattans out of his jacket pocket (he knew the hostess of the party wouldn't serve alcohol, so he took care of himself), he explained to me that medical science's understanding of the root cause of cancer had not advanced in 100 years.

 John Mikuta passed away in January of 2013.  I hope his flask is eternally full.

This was very troubling to me.  Think of the money we've invested; the researchers at NIH, Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering; the billions invested in drugs by Big Pharma.  It's humbling to realize that nature could guard her secrets this well for so long.  Or maybe just a realization that we're not as clever as we'd like to think.

Donna is always concerned that her cancer will return one day, so she keeps herself current on cancer research, treatment and trends.  She read an interesting book some time ago titled "Anti Cancer -- A New Way of Life".  The thing that struck me was the inspiration the author took from Stephen Jay Gould's diagnosis of mesothelioma.  Gould's doctor told him the average patient survives 8 months.  As a scientist and a writer, Gould wanted to know where to start researching on his own.  The doctor told him that none of the written material would be of much help -- certainly the standard "you're not a trained medical professional, so it will confuse rather than help you" dodge.  Gould didn't listen, dove into the statistics around other patients' experiences and took control of his own disease management.  He lived 20 years after initial diagnosis.  David Servan-Schreiber, one of the founders of Doctors Without Borders and author of Anti Cancer, had a similar experience.  Taking Gould's example, Servan-Schreiber managed his own process and lived 20 years with brain cancer before succumbing in 2011.

I am fully aware that these two anecdotes of extended survival times are not proof that managing your own disease, diet and lifestyle are causal.  But I am also deeply suspicious about what we know and do about cancer today.  The focus on early detection has certainly led to much more aggressive action than would be undertaken if we waited until patients were symptomatic.  Are we really extending life?  Having witnessed a dear friend deteriorate over the last three years, I wondered all along if she chose the proper paths.  She fought lung cancer aggressively and died.  Would she have died anyway?  Most certainly.  Did the treatments improve her quality of life, or extend it in a meaningful way?  We'll never know.  But I come away from all of this with one certainty only:  I will never put my life blindly into anyone else's hands, regardless of their experience and technical expertise.  Treatment is an option.  No treatment is also an option.  Diet, exercise and lifestyle may not prevent cancer.  But they are integral to health, so they have to be considered.  And statistics don't apply to me.  I'm going to die sometime between one of these keystrokes and 2083.  If I become sick, I will be the one to decide what steps are taken, not an actuary in a white lab coat.  I will follow John Mikuta's example and take care of myself on my terms.


Welcome to Movember!

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