Yes, I know for a lot of us it doesn't look good. Yes, I know that it's scratchy. Yes, I know it looks like we're homeless (or worse, hipsters), but Movemeber or No Shave November is in full effect.
I have been abstaining from the razor, letting my somewhat-full beard get as bushy as possible. But for me, it's personal.
Many people may not know, but No Shave Nomember actually has a purpose. It's to raise awareness of men's cancers, specifically prostate and testicular cancer. It's our version of the "pink" campaigns for breast cancer in October. And I am a testicular cancer survivor.
Flash back to the summer of 2007: A routine stomach ache had bothered me the entire day, prompting a trip to the hospital after I couldn't fall asleep. As soon as I got to the hospital, it was a blur of doctors and IVs. I woke up the next morning in a morphine-induced daze.
The doctors soon came in and told me I had appendicitis and had I waited a few more hours, it would have burst and most likely killed me. And if that shock wasn't enough, the bigger news came a day later. While performing that surgery, they informed that they may have found a tumor and I would need to return to the hospital as soon as I healed from this surgery.
So I went home to rest of the couch, sure not to move too much as the six-inch gash in my stomach was only held together by tape and gauze, to heal for my eventual return. I watched a lot of movies, many of which my friends lent me, including seasons of "Monty Python" and "My Best Friend's Wedding."
Six weeks later, I returned to the hospital for my second surgery, not knowing what the result would be. Luckily, this visit didn't have the urgency and panic that the previous trip had. I woke up after the surgery later that day, hoping for the best, but the news that I received didn't give any answers.
The doctors weren't sure if what they removed was cancerous or not. I wasn't quite sure how they could not know, but they were sending the mass to the Mayo Clinic so they could analyze it.
So I returned to my couch, another six-inch gash in my torso, more tape and gauze, and slightly lighter on my left side, as I had to sacrifice one of my testicles, where the mass had grown. I waited nervously for two weeks, jumping every time the phone rang, hoping that on the other end would be good news.
Finally, after two weeks, the doctors called and made an appointment for me to see the surgeon. When I finally met him, the news was good. What they removed hadn't done any damage yet, but had I waited a few years, it was very likely that the growth would have become malignant.
I let out a big sigh of relief. I had dodged a bullet. In the end, I was very lucky that I had needed the appendix surgery. Chances are I wouldn't have found the growth and I might not be here today.
I know my ordeal wasn't nearly as strenuous or painful as others' situations. I was lucky, but there are many of us out there that aren't so lucky.
This is what Movember is all about. Breast cancer gets most of the press (as it should) but there are several other forms of cancer out there that could use the attention as well. I strongly encourage you to donate what you can. Every little bit helps.
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