CATEGORY: Confessions of Health & Wellness

There are few things that men find more petrifying than a prostate exam. The words alone suggest discomfort and embarrassment. It could be considered the male equivalent to a woman’s pap smear. Many men are reluctant to have conversations related to their prostate health with their health care professionals. Some men stay away from the clinic no matter what. But what if I told you that you could have an open discussion with your health care provider and perhaps never have to have a digital rectal exam (prostate exam)? Would it seem less scary, less daunting of a task? I...

I admit I was a little nervous. It is like a rite of passage yet a green mile walk at the same time. Incidentally, I had recently received news that someone close to me who is also younger than me had been diagnosed. I regretted not having my baseline at 35 when my gynecologist first told me too. Now, here I was a few months before turning 40 and going to have my first mammogram. I was not expecting anything to be wrong but I would be lying if I said I had zero concern. Though it is not common,...