[Ansteorra] Fearghus' upcoming surgery

[Ladyarabella]

Greetings to all of you from a very grateful, loving and worried wife,

I apologize for this mundane intrusion but this is a very important message
to my SCA playmates, friends, and family.

Not but a few weeks ago Lord Fearghus, my loving husband, was diagnosed with
Prostate Cancer.  He is due to have a prostate removal surgery on November
27.

Our primary care physician, (who is a great man in my opinion) did a digital
examination felt nothing particular but ordered a blood test for prostate
cancer anyway.  It came back showing an elevated PSA and forwarded him to an
Urologist.  (More information below)

Who then told us we were very lucky, most doctors don't do this test until a
patient is 50 or 55-years-old.  Fearghus is 46-years-old had we waited it
would have been too late and I would be a widow with a kid still in high
school.

My message: If you are male and over 40 get examined for prostate cancer,
both manually and by blood test.  It's simple, not strenuous, just a little
uncomfortable but it could save your life and save your family.

Some information I found on the WEB:

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer and is the
second leading cause of cancer deaths among men (second only to lung
cancer).

The range of symptoms indicating the presence of cancer may include:
Weak and or interrupted urine flow
The need to urinate frequently, especially at night
Difficulty starting, or holding back while urinating
Discomfort, or burning sensation when urinating
Presence of blood in the urine or semen
Pain in the lower abdomen, back, or in the groin
Change in desire for sexual encounters

Unfortunately these symptoms are non-specific and could be caused by a range
of conditions, such as BPH, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate),
elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) or general weakness.  Or no
symptoms may be present at all; some men never experience any discomfort,
even in advanced cases of prostate cancer.

BPH, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a non-cancerous enlargement of the
prostate. This condition is associated with ageing, and most men experience
this form of enlargement of the prostate later in life.
After the age of forty the prostate may show this type of growth, which can
be caused by various factors, like a change in sexual habits, or the normal
fluctuation in the presence of male hormones due to ageing.

Elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) in the blood is a marker that
indicates the possibility of an enlarged prostate.
This may be due to various factors such as BPH or cancer.

Many men may live for decades with cancerous conditions in their prostate
without being aware of it and are experiencing no symptoms.  Many men find
out too late they have this condition.

Please please the next time you see your doctor, ask for that simple blood
test.  Yes I know the digital exam is uncomfortable.  We women have them
every year starting from our late teens.  Mammograms are more uncomfortable.
But isn't a little discomfort worth saving your life?

Thanks for your time and support. - Arabella