Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

SEPTEMBER 24

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Patrick Morrow/Adventure Photos & Film
Achieve Your Dreams

It's Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Remember to visit "Today" during the week of September 19-25. It's Prostate Cancer Awareness Week and we will feature a different issue each day concerning prostate cancer.

September 24 - Lt. James H. Doolittle completes the first flight using only instruments to guide the plane (1929). * Independence Day in Guinea-Bissau. * Good Neighbor Appreciate Day. *Birthdays: F Scott Fitzgerald, Jim Henson, Gordon Clapp, James Kenneth (Jim) McKay (born James Kenneth McManus), Rafael Corrales Palmeiro, Kevin Sorbo, Phil Hartman.

DAILY THOUGHTS

For a couple between the ages of forty-five and fifty-four earning a combined income of $100,000 a year (which is $70,000 after federal taxes), Merrill Lynch says they had better be socking away 24.3 percent of their after-tax earnings, or $18,000 per year, toward retirement, or else they will be forced to accept dramatically lower standards of living during retirement or forget about retirement altogether. New Passages

Which U.S. university was the first to offer a Ph.D degree in African American studies?  Temple University, Philadelphia, PA African American History

Here's a quick tip to survive the morning rush: If book bags are placed by the door the night before, fewer last-minute searches will be needed. Dr. Buff's 365 Day Parenting Calendar

The soul is not meant to be understood. The only way to understand with soul is to imagine, to watch structures take form as our love and attachment deepen. Soul Mates

What is this force that pushes us as individuals and as a whole species to grow against the natural resistance of our lethargy?  We have already labeled it. It is love. Love was defined as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth."  When we grow, it is because we are working at it, and we are working at it because we love ourselves. The Road Less Traveled

Take big steps. Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: A day when everything goes right. Stir-fry aroma. The end of back or neck pain. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

Nobody likes a tattletale. Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

Control is a function of fear.  If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

The oldest film to depict an openly homoerotic theme is The Wings, directed by Swedish filmmaker Mauritz Stiller. Do you know in what year it was made? Gay & Lesbian Calendar (Answer below.)

Learn from other people's mistakes and save yourself a lot of trouble. Stress Busters

Encourage your kids to picture something they've done or said that was silly - maybe when they were little. Now, turn it into a comic strip. It can be a single panel or a whole cartoon strip. Who knows, they may discover a hidden talent! To Do Today

If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat. - Hershel Walker. Win the Day!

Temblar (tehmBLAHR) TO shake. La tierra temblo! The earth shook! Living Language

Answer: 1916.

TODAY'S ISSUE:  TREATMENT AND AFTER/SIDE EFFECTS

Disclaimer - Information is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. Any medical decisions should be made in conjunction with your physician. We will not be liable for any complications, injuries or other medical accidents arising from or in connection with, the use of or reliance upon any information on the web.

Prostatitis (infection):

Options for the home treatment:

  • Drink as much water as you can tolerate
  • Eliminate all alcohol and caffeine from your diet.
  • Hot baths help soothe pain and reduce stress
  • Aspirin or ibuprofen may help ease painful urinary symptoms

Options for the treatment:

  • If the prostate is infected, treatment with antibiotics and analgesics may be necessary.
  • Although antibiotics are often used to treat prostatitis, the long-term use of such drugs can lead to bacterial resistance, which in turn necessitates more potent drugs, more expense, and more medical complications.

Prostate Enlargement:

Options for the home treatment:

  • Avoid antihistamines and decongestants, which can make urinary problems worse.
  • If you are bothered by a frequent urge to urinate at night, cut down on beverages, especially alcohol and caffeine, before bedtime.
  • Don’t postpone urinating, and take plenty of time. Try sitting on the toilet instead of standing.
  • If dribbling after urination is a problem, wash your penis once a day to prevent infection.

Options for the treatment:

  • Enlarged prostate may be treated surgically with a procedure called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). About 350,000 TURPs were done in the United States in 1990. The procedure is twice as likely than are drugs or other treatments to provide long-term relief. Side effects of the procedure include retrograde ejaculation (in which the semen is pumped back up into the bladder) and in some cases impotence or incontinence. About 15 percent of men who have the procedure need another operation within eight years. Newer surgical procedures using laser technology and other technologies are available, but TURP remains the standard treatment. TURP is not used for prostatitis.
  • The drug finasteride (Proscar) may be used to treat moderate prostate enlargement. It blocks an enzyme that converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which promotes the growth of prostate tissue. The drug has been shown to increase urine flow in 30 percent of test cases and to reduce the size of the prostate by 20 percent in more than half the test cases. In addition, because it reduces the amount of prostate tissue, it can skew the results of the blood test used to detect prostate cancer.
  • Engaging in sexual intercourse while the prostate is infected and irritated may further irritate the prostate and delay recovery.
  • Vasectomy for sterilization has been linked to prostate disorders and even cancer.
  • Zinc deficiency is linked to enlargement of the prostate. Soil used for farming is often deficient in zinc, and unless you eat hulks of cereals or brewer’s yeast, it is difficult to get enough zinc in the diet. Alcohol causes a deficiency of zinc and other serious nutritional deficiencies. However, too much zinc (over 100 milligrams a day) can depress immune function.
  • The injectable drug leuprolide (Lupron) may shrink an enlarged prostate. Side effects that can occur include impotence, decreased libido and even hot flashes. You should take this drug only if you are not concerned with potency. It is available by a doctor’s prescription only.
  • All men aged forty or over should have a yearly rectal examination, during which the prostate gland is checked.

Prostate Cancer:

Options for the treatment:

  • If the disease is caught early, treatment is usually successful. If the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, however, it is difficult to treat and cure. Unfortunately, prostate cancer can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Many cases are diagnosed only after the cancer has spread outside the gland. Once this happens, the survival rate over the next five years is about 40 percent. If the disease spreads to the lymph nodes, bones or other organs, the chances of survival drop to 20 percent
  • Berries help protect DNA from damage and mutation that may result in cancer.
  • Experimental therapies such as cryoablation (freezing of cancer cells) and laser surgery are sometimes used in prostate cancer treatment.
  • If the cancer has spread into the capsule of the gland, the standard approach is some form of radiation therapy. Ten-year survival rates are 50 to 60 percent. Radiation therapy leaves men impotent 50 percent of the time. It may also adversely affect the bladder and rectum.
  • If the disease is confined to the prostate and a man is healthy and under seventy years old, removal of the gland (radical prostatectomy) is often recommended. About 50 percent of men who have this done, even with the new "nerve sparing" techniques, become impotent. Significant incontinence occurs in up to 25 percent of cases. Watchful waiting, with nutritional support and lifestyle change, is becoming the preferred approach if the cancer is in the early stages.
  • If the cancer has spread outside the gland, treatment is aimed at trying to block production of testosterone, which fuels the cancer. This can be done by means or orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testes) or by suppressing the production and action of hormones. For the latter, either goserelin (Zoladex) or leuprolide (Lupron) is given by monthly injections (they are fundamentally the same drug); in addition, flutamide (Eulexin) is taken orally. Together, these agents effectively shut down testosterone production and use by the body. Both orchiectomy and hormone suppression cause impotence in nearly 100 percent of the cases.
  • Estrogen’s have been used effectively for the treatment of prostate cancer for sixty years. However, they can cause breast growth and other feminizing effects, as well as cardiac complications.
  • Many consider prostate cancer to be one of the most overtreated diseases in America. Physicians in Europe have long used a conservative approach with comparable results. In addition, a 1994 report in The New England Journal of Medicine reported on a large group of men who refused traditional treatment. Surprisingly, they fared just as well as - and possibly better than - men who did accept medical treatment. A conservative approach making critical lifestyle and dietary changes and using nutritional supplementation may work just as well.
  • Dr. Hans Nieper, a German cancer specialist, uses Carnivora, a substance derived from a South American plant, to treat prostate cancer. Fresh cabbage and carrot juice are used in clinics worldwide in cancer therapy.
  • A high-fat, low-fiber diet is linked not just to heart disease, but also to prostate cancer. Chemical reactions occur when fat is cooked, leading to the production of free radicals, which play a major role in certain cancers. It is logical to assume that the accelerating increase in prostate cancer since the 1950s must be attributable at least in part to a parallel increase in fat consumption in the U.S. According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, men who eat red meat five times a week may have a risk of prostate cancer that is nearly three times higher than that for men who eat red meat less than once a week. Butter consumption also appears to contribute to this disease., Researchers theorize that a diet high in fat raises the levels of testosterone and other hormones in the body, which stimulate the prostate - and any cancerous cells in it - to grow. A high intake of milk and coffee may also increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
  • Research has shown that soybeans and soy products, such as tofu, soy flour and soymilk, have cancer-fighting powers due to the presence of a protein called genistein. Genistein apparently retards tumor growth by preventing the growth of new blood vessels to feed the tumor. It appears to be particularly effective against prostate cancer, but also works against breast cancer in women and colon cancer in both sexes.
  • A man who is impotent as a result of treatment for prostate cancer may be able to remain sexually active through penile prostheses and other devices. (November 1 starts a series supporting International Impotency Awareness Month.)
  • Studies from Israel indicate shark cartilage may be effective in treating prostate cancer. Its antiangiogenic potential seems to inhibit new blood vessels formation, especially in highly malignant vascular cancers.
  • In 1993, the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed a connection between vasectomy and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Reported studies of 48,000 and 29,000 men who had vasectomies showed a 66-percent and 56-percent higher rate of prostate cancer, respectively. The risk increased with age and the number of years since the vasectomy was performed. Since then, a panel called the National Institutes of Health found no biological cause-and-effect relationship between vasectomy and prostate cancer. Not all experts accept that finding, however.
  • A man with prostate cancer needs support and understanding from family members, friends and physicians. Besides coming to grips with cancer and its treatments, he also has to deal with the possible loss of sexual potency, which can be very difficult. A number of the books listed in the reference section below provide a great deal of detailed information and practical advice to help the man with prostate cancer and his family to deal with the many difficult aspects of this disease.
  • Diet and nutrition are important not only for treatment, but for prevention. An anticancer diet is composed primarily of brown rice, fresh raw fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, and whole grains, and excludes alcohol, coffee, refined carbohydrates, and strong tea. Regular intake of zinc (50 milligrams daily) and essential fatty acids (in supplement form or from cold-pressed sesame, safflower or olive oil) in later life also may help prevent the development of problems.

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. That this option to read and get knowledgeable about your prostate and other men's health issues. There is a reason that we die five years before women and we can make choices now to reduce or eliminate that five year difference. What do you choose?  Go early or be healthy and be around a little longer to be with your kids, grandkids or just your friends? Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

Free Reminder for next year: On the first of September, we will send you a reminder to schedule a checkup during Prostate Cancer Awarness Week. Sign up here. mailto:menstuff-prostate-reminder-subscribe@topica.com

We will review Living Life After Treatment on Thursday. There will also be a discussion of impotency and treatments like Viagra on November 1, the beginning of National Impotency Awareness Month.

To learn more about Prostate Cancer: www.pcaw.org or Issues, Books, Resources

BOOK OF THE WEEK

 

I'm Outnumbered: One mom's lessons in the lively art of raising boys by Laura Lee Groves. I'm Outnumbered: One mom's lessons in the lively art of raising boys. Only a mom of all boys can really explain what life is like when you are surrounded by men. From one "boy mom" to another, this book offers sound advise and encouragement for every mom ho has more than one son, even if there is a girl in the mix. The author guides moms to see their role as proactive parents with insights gleaned from her own experience, from other boy moms, and from parenting experts. Laced with touching and humorous stories, this practical manual will show boy moms how to escape the expectation trap, handle sibling rivalry, foster leadership and teamwork, maintain order, celebrate their individuality and much more. A Christian perspective. Kregal Publications, 2010 ISBN 978-0-8254-2739-8

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Forrest Craver - Spirituality & Social Change - www.menstuff.org/columns/craver/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Rick Hanson - Your Wise Brain - www.menstuff.org/columns/hanson/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Tom Matlack - Tom Matlack - Good Men Project - www.menstuff.org/columns/matlack/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

September is Baby Safety Awareness, Children's Eye Health & Safety, Children's Good Manners, Christmas Seal, Cholesterol Education, Fall Hat, Gay Square Dance, Library Card Sign-up, Little League, Organic Harvest, Pediculosis Prevention, Piano, Pleasure Your Mate, Project Aware, Prosperity Creation, School Success, Sea Cadet, Self Awareness, Self-Improvement, Shameless Promotion, and Sickle Cell Month.

9/15-10/15: Hispanic Heritage Month. 8/29-9/4: National Sobriety Checkpoint Week, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, www.madd.org; 9/1-7: Childhood Injury Prevention; Self-University Week. 9/4-10: Full Employment Week, Mental Health Workers Week.. 9/5-9: Play Days. 9/9-16: National Five-A-Day Week. 9/10-16: National Suicide Prevention; Substitute Teacher Appreciation; National Brainstorming and Mind Mapping; Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week: 9/14-20 Dementia Awareness Week (Australia) 9/17-23: *Constitution; Balance Awareness; Love a Mensch; Farm Safety and Health; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Rehabilitation Awareness; Single's Week. 9/19-25 - Prostate Cancer Awareness Week; 9/23-30: Banned Books, Religious Freedom Week. 9/23-29 - Deaf Awareness, National Dog Week; 9/23-24: Family Health & Fitness. 9/10: Swap Ideas Day. 9/17 *Citizenship Day. 9/19: International Day of Peace. 9/22: National Centenarians, Proposal Day. 9/23: Kiwanis Kids', *National Hunting & Fishing, Smash Out Suicide Day, 9/24: *Gold Star Mother's, National Good Neighbor, World Heart Day. 9/27: Ancestor Appreciation Day. 9/28: Cabrillo Day

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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