Day 15 - Movember 15th 2010

Thank you to:

Shirley Rose!

for your donation in Davids name!!


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

What are the exams done by the doctor to test for prostate cancer? One is the DRE or digital rectal exam. During this examiniation a medical professional inserts a lunbricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for any lumps or abnormalitys. The exam shouldn't cause any pain, and takes only a short time. It is not as effective as the PSA test, but in instances where the PSA test shows normal, the DRE could find something abnormal. For this reason both tests are regularily done.

Day 14 - Movember 14th 2010

Day 14, the stache is visible from a distance! Our team is at $552, a little over halfway to our goal!


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

Another alternate form of treatment for Prostate Cancer is Gene Therapy. Here is a description from Prostate Canada:

Gene Therapy
Genes that have been specifically created to treat disease are inserted into cells. The Toronto General Hospital is testing one type of gene therapy to improve a man’s odds after prostatectomy. Sometimes prostate cancer returns even after the prostate has been removed because small numbers of cancer cells have already spread to other parts of the body before surgery. Researchers are testing a gene therapy which is used a month before surgery and encourages the body to kill cancer cells that have spread beyond the prostate. This research is still in early stages but the results so far are hopeful.

Day 13 - Movember 13th 2010

Day 13, no new news!


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

There are other treatments available which are considered alternate or experimental. One of these treatments is High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU).  Here is a excerpt from Prostate Canada:

HIFU is an acoustic ablation technique that uses intersecting, precision focused ultrasound waves to raise the temperature of the target tissue to more than 80 to 90 degrees Celsius in two to three seconds, destroying the targeted cancerous tissues.
HIFU Facts:
  • a non-invasive therapy device that is available in Canada, Mexico, Europe, parts of Asia and the Dominican Republic
  • used to treat localized prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate enlargement
  • has been used in Japan and Europe for over 10 and five years, respectively
  • treatments are not covered by provincial health insurance in Canada, as of September 2006

Day 12 - Movember 12th 2010

Day 12, there is definite blonde coming in around the edges.


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

Did you know? Prostate Cancer is going to be diagnosed in about 24,600 men this year, not including cases that go undiagnosed due to men's unwillingness to go for annual check-ups. Prostate Cancer is as common in men as breast cancer is in women.

More Statistics

Day 11 - Movember 11th 2010

Day 11 and the moustache is still growing!

Great news update for the moustache paintings! They are now up on display at Tilikum Art in Tillicum Mall as well as Starbucks, please contact me to find out which Starbucks.


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

The fourth phase in prostate cancer is Hormone Refractory Disease. This phase is when the cancer cells persist in growing, even though the hormone therapy has prevented the neccessary androgens (male hormones) from reaching the cells. The best treatment at this phase is chemotherapy. Not all men will progress through all 4 phases, some men will develop cancer cells in the prostate gland, but they will grow so slowly they will not affect the man throughout his entire life.

Day 10 - Movember 10th 2010

Day 10 - Donation Alert! Special Thank you to my Grandparents

Monty and Diane MacMillan

For their donation!


PROSTATE INFORMATION:

The third phase in prostate cancer is the metastatic phase, aka advanced phase, where the cancer begins to spread beyond the prostate gland. At this point the cancer can be treated with either hormone therapy, or chemotherapy.

Day 9 - Movember 9th 2010

Sold my first painting! Thank you to:

Kaely MacMillan

For purchsing The Fork Ran Away With the Spoon, we appreciate your donation!!!

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PROSTATE INFORMATION:

The second phase of prostate cancer is Recurrent Disease which is when the cancer has returned, however there is no sign of metastasis (spreading). Even after treatment there is a chance that some cells were missed or escaped during treatment, and the cancer may return. It is important to continue having tests done, at least once per year, to monitor the this.

Day 8 - Movember 8th 2010

Day 8
Looks like theres a little bit of blonde in that moustache.

I would like to dedicate today to David's Uncle Michael, who is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. A very happy Movember 8th to you; I will remind David to grow his moustache extra today!
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PROSTATE INFORMATION:

There are 4 phases of prostate cancer. The first is Localized Disease, where the cancer is confined to the prostate. Cancer detected at this stage has a 95% success rate of recovery. At this stage radical prostectomy is the most common form of treatment, which is surgery, or radiation is often used.

Day 7 - Movember 7th 2010

Alright! We have 3 paintings up for sale by donation! Check them out here:

Paintings for sale by donation!

If you want to buy one click the link at the top of the page to make a donation! Make sure you leave a comment in the comment box as to which painting you want!
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PROSTATE INFORMATION:
The main symptoms of prostate cancer are frequency, or the need to urinate often, and urgency, the intense need to urinate. In addition, difficulty stopping or starting urine flow, or complete inability to pass urine are major concerns and should be addressed by a medical professional as soon as possible. Pain is also a common symptom, during urination or ejaculation. These are also symptoms of prostate enlargement, which may not be a result of prostate cancer, however, they should nt be ignored! When in doubt, get checked out!

More Information

Day 6 - Movember 6th 2010

New team member alert! A warm Movember welcome to:

Cam McLellan

Happy Growing!

New fundraising news!  I have decided to sell some small paintings of moustaches by donation, to raise money for our Movember team! I will post pictures of the paintings, and if you would like one please donate money in my name. Make sure you leave a note in the comment box as to which painting you would like!!
Also accepting requests!!!
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PROSTATE INFORMATION:

In order for the prostate to function properly it requires male sex hormones, called androgens. The main hormone is testosterone which is produces by the testicles. One of the treatment options for prostate cancer is hormone therapy which inhibits or removes the male hormones, thereby preventing further grow of the prostate cells. There are a few drugs on the market which prevent the production or inhibit the action of the hormones, more information can be found here:

More Information

Day 5 - Movember 5th 2010

Day 5
Day 5 looks good, you can actually tell theres a moustache there, as it is long enough to not blend in with the other facial hair. David finds his 'stache is quite comfortable, offering that extra coat of warmth on these increasingly cold Movember days. 
We have a goal in mind....to join the platinum mo club! What does this mean? As a team we have to raise over $1000. We are $400 deep and still in the first week, MO' STACHE....MO' CASH!!!
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PROSTATE INFORMATION:
80% of prostate cancer occurs in men of the age of 65, however, this does not mean you are off the hook until then. Early detection is extremely important for treatment as once the cancer begins to spread it is much harder to treat. Depending on your age and family history, check ups should be started at a young age, such as 40 and once 50 rolls around, the exams should be done annually. The exam consists of 2 different component, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal examination (DRE).

More Information

Day 4 - Movember 4th 2010

Day 4 and things are getting itchy. David's upper lip has turned to sandpaper.

Day 4
Thank you for the donation:

Joyce Harcombe    

We appreciate your contribution!

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PROSTATE INFORMATION:

Did you know that prostate cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy in men? Not only is it the most common, it is also #2 most deadly, second only to lung cancer. 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer over their lifetime, and pre-cancerous cells are found in most men during autopsy.

More Information

Day 3 - Movember 3rd 2010


Day 3

The team is still doing well with 5 members, and another donation. Thank you to:

Trish and Alan Warren

for their donation to David!
 I think I see a little shadow where the moustache is growing!
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PROSTATE INFORMATION:

The prostate is said to be slightly larger than a walnut in size, but realistically it is closer to the size of a kiwi fruit, weighing in between 7-16 grams. It can be felt via a rectal exam, which is why it is important for men to recieve check-ups on a regular basis. The word prostate is derived from the greek word prostates which literally translates to "protector" or "guardian", so men, make sure you take good care of your protector!


Day 2 - Movember 2nd 2010


Day 2
Day 2, and our team is off to a great start! The moustache stubble is visible as the Mo' begins to grow!

Thank you to the following people for jump starting the donations:
(On behalf of team member Simon Fry):
                 Kaitlyn Christie
                 Andrew Fry                   
                 Simon Fry
(On behalf of my moustache man David Warren):
                Jeremy Warren*
*...an extra special thank you for your generous donation!
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PROSTATE CANCER INFORMATION :

What is the prostate?
The prostate is an exocrine gland which functions as part of the male reproductive system. It is located below the bladder and adjacent to the rectum and is responsible for storage and secretion of a milky white fluid which makes up about 30% of the volume of semen.

More Information

Movember 2010 - Day 1

Welcome to my blog to help raise money and awareness for prostate cancer! I am a Mo' Sista of the team "Moustache Masters of Public Health" and I am going to write about prostate cancer and moustaches while discussing the progress of my man David's developing 'stache. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the facial hair craze that is Movember, let me elaborate on the foundation. Movember, a mash-up on the words 'Mo', the Australian slang word for moustache, and November, began in Australia 7 years ago to help bring attention to men's health. The campaign has continued every year since, spreading around the World. Last year, 255,722 men and women across the globe raised $42 million (CAD) - all through the power of the Mo. The money raised here in Canada is donated to Prostate Cancer Canada (www.prostatecancer.ca), to support men's health and the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, a disease that is too often ignored out of lack of information or embarrassment.

Here is an excerpt from the Movember Offical Website:

"Movember is, at heart, a grass roots movement. It has grown from a campaign supported by 30 Mo Bros in its first year (2003) to a global movement that has since seen 627,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas rise to the challenge to help change the face of men’s health.

The Movember Foundation has two primary objectives:
-    Raise awareness of men’s health issues 
-    Raise funds for our beneficiary partners so that they can extend the work they are doing to improve the state of men’s health

Although funds are often presumed to be the more important of the two, the Movember Foundation puts equal weight behind achieving success in both areas. 

Since Movember’s inception, awareness and understanding of men’s health issues has been greatly increased and this is evidenced in two ways. Firstly, by the funds raised in each country and secondly by the changes in behavior by men relating to their health."
Thanks for reading and make sure to check back often!
 If you would like to donate to our team, follow the link below:

 http://ca.movember.com/mospace/969758/