| Title | : | The Prostate Monologues: What Every Man Can Learn from My Humbling, Confusing, and Sometimes Comical Battle With Prostate Cancer |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1609610555 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781609610555 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 |
| Publication | : | First published August 20, 2013 |
Through the lens of his own experience, McCallum attacks the nitty-gritty questions about prostate cancer that men think about (but may be too bashful to ask their doctors) with honesty and humor. For example, “When is it safe to attempt intercourse, or at least, self-inflicted orgasm?” Or, if you have surgery, “What’s it like the first time you shop for adult diapers?” With wry humor, McCallum decodes the sometimes-confusing jargon of medical professionals so that it is understandable and relatable to “regular” men.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and the second most fatal. Worse than the obvious commonality and mortality of the disease, though, is the fact that prostate cancer can rob a man of his manhood. Accordingly, McCallum handles the subject not only with care and knowledge, but also with good cheer. Through the honest telling of his own story, and drawing on the latest research, McCallum shares insight into what’s worked for him—and what’s proven to work—in surviving cancer with your sense of humor intact.
The Prostate Monologues: What Every Man Can Learn from My Humbling, Confusing, and Sometimes Comical Battle With Prostate Cancer Reviews
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There's no question that if you have prostate cancer or have reasons for concern, if you are the spouse of someone,or know someone, this book is a must read for information, insights, experiences, and problem-solving help. It's an extraordinary book that takes you through the turmoil of decision-making, fear, and courage required to find the right course of action.
Jack McCallum pulls no punches, sugar-coats nothing, and infuses his book with all the humanism, skepticism, and witticisms that dealing with a truly scary health issue demands.
Initially, I read this book because I know Jack. We attended grad school classes together. I know how smart he is, how meticulously careful he is about what he writes, how easily he infuses smart humor into his book and conversations, and how generous he is when it comes to sharing what he knows even if it's awkward, embarrassing, and incredibly personal.
I don't know anyone with prostate cancer other than Jack, who shed his. But I know plenty of people with other cancers and medical conditions of all kinds. The revelations about the mind-boggling path of medical decision-making that Jack reveals in his book are universal. You don't have to have prostate cancer to be paralyzed by your treatment options, statistics about your chances of recover, old v. new medical technologies and their appropriateness for you.
Jack reminds us that doing our own research is essential,including those options and the expertise of the doctors and hospitals taking care of us. He reminds us we need the support of family and friends. We need to talk to people who have received the treatments we're considering and to learn from them.
This book reads like a conversation over coffee with an old friend. Nothing is off limits, the banter creates much needed comic relief, and the facts presented without bias--no scare tactics--just uncluttered information. Jack is a terrific journalist, a talented author, and authentic all the way. -
The author gives an interesting analysis on prostate issues from a sportswriter's perspective. It is surprising how quickly some people react to being told they have cancer. The younger they are the more likely they are to choose surgery. When the doctors tell them have cancer they are stunned, then want to get it out as soon as possible. Sometimes this can cause regrets that they didn't research all their options before making a decision (Arnold Palmer for one, but he didn't have any regrets).
The best part of the book are the interviews with patients and doctors, they run the gambit. Some of the doctors recognize that one treatment is not for every patient and others are locked into their method is the only viable choice. Some patients come out in fairly good shape in both areas. They better health they are in and the younger they are the bright the outcome overall. The bottom line is that men over 50 should be getting PSA test. Amazing how some people don't even want to think of having one, considering it is just another blood test. The important thing is the first test give a patient a baseline to measure all test thereafter.
The two prostate issues the get men's attention is the cancer but the other is the increase in bathroom trips, especially in the middle of the night (BPH, which isn't really addressed). The older men are the more likely they are to monitor it rather than dive right into surgery.
One must understand the focus of the different specialists; Urologist are surgeons, so they want to operate (paying for their expensive laser machines); Oncologist are cancer doctors and are more reflective on monitoring versus taking aggressive action; the third are Radiologist, they want to zap the cancer to eliminate it. The best approach is to see all three specialist and have them collaborate together to come up with a collective recommendation, then the patient needs to decide on a course of action/treatment. -
It’s everything you always wanted to know about prostate cancer but didn’t know who to ask. (Or, you were too embarrassed to ask.) Now you have no excuse. You can ask veteran sportswriter Jack McCallum. Or, better yet, read his book.
Himself a prostate cancer survivor, McCallum has created here sort of a “Prostate Cancer for Dummies” survival guide. Oddly enough, with a subject matter so serious and so deadly, this extremely candid and often very funny personal journal reads more like a dialogue than a monologue. McCallum walks us through his own diagnosis and clearly lays out all the current treatment options that faced him. He weighs the pros and cons of “watchful waiting.” (It’s more than doing nothing. Active surveillance involves more frequent PSA tests, digital-rectal exams and biopsies.) McCallum looked at prostatectomy as an option. The author notes that surgical removal of the gland can be done hands-on, manually, the old fashioned way. Or, (spoiler alert), he could choose, (and did), to undergo a RALP, (robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.) Not to worry, McCallum debates both sides of those procedures. (Another spoiler alert here.) McCallum considered but discarded radiation and cryotherapy, two additional treatment choices.
What sets this medical essay apart from the crowd are the testimonies McCallum includes from medical experts as well as celebrities and non-celebrities alike. McCallum covers the history and the controversy surrounding the PSA test. He doesn’t shy away from “the murky waters of prostate cancer politics.” If McCallum doesn’t provide enough detail to make an informed decision, the author provides prostate cancer patients nearly five pages of books, articles, indispensable web sites and online prostate cancer tools. And how many authors give out their own e-mail address? If you are male and still own a prostate gland, this "operator's manual" is an absolute must read. -
As McCallum points out so well, prostate cancer is currently a puzzle, some medical people even want to change the name to prostatic epithelial neoplasia ... like that could help anything. Part of the puzzle is the currently popular screening test: the PSA test. For a favorable test result (say 2.5), some men are close to death, and for a unfavorable result (say 4.5) some men are in no danger. However, if you have a result is like 800, you ARE close to death.
After that there are the treatments. There is no obvious advantage between radiation, regular prostatectomy, and robotic prostatectomy. All offer a chance for incontinence and/or impotence in exchange for chance to fix a problem that might not have existed to begin with ... or not.
McCallum does a great job to provide a balanced view with lots of interviews with doctors and patients. Anyone who knows what a DRE is should read book.
For more see:
http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2013/0...
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on August 6, 2013. I received the book on August 13, 2013. -
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Sportswriter Jack McCallum has written a great book about being a prostate cancer patient. He presents all of the points a patient and his family need to consider to make an informed decision about what to do when he gets the diagnosis. Witten in layman terms, the book is funny (I laughed out loud at so many points) and sweet. McCallum lays out much of the confusing information currently known and ways he and other patients have used to approach all of the information. I highly recommend this to any patient and family member who has prostate cancer in their lives. Healthcare professionals would benefit from reading this also, to understand the patient's perspective. -
I received this book through a giveaway of first reads on goodreads. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. My Dad is a survivor of prostate cancer for three years, and I had signed up to give this book to him, however I read it and learned a lot about this cancer. Mr. McCallum did an excellent job in writing this informative book. It was not what I was expecting, it was even better!! Thank you for teaching me more about prostate cancer. Would highly recommend this book to especially anyone who has a loved one with this.
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