My New York Minute

I realize that each of us can have a birthday every day as well as every year. Yesterday was this Leo’s birthday. Having experienced several odd symptoms in the past few days like a mysterious loss of appetite and sudden loss of 10 or more pounds in a week along with  several other manisfestations I’ll leave unwritten, I decided to [...]

An autistic woman shares her magical drawings of hope and love. I try not to think or say it too often, but I know it: CANCER SUCKS. I have it. It affects me and my family on a daily basis. It’s the uninvited guest that can drive you crazy for fear that it will never leave. [...]

A long-time friend of and advocate for the prostate cancer community leaves a lasting mark in the hearts of many. Fred Gersh passed away early this morning as a consequence of metastatic, castration- and chemotherapy-refractory disease 23 years after his initial diagnosis with prostate cancer. Fred was a tireless advocate for prostate cancer, working with and [...]

A day for reflection underscores all that is wonderful in my life. Okay, there’s no way around it… we all agree, having cancer sucks. However, as I approach the peace of the Thanksgiving holiday (no Gray Thursdays or Black Fridays for me–I simply don’t understand sacrificing one holiday to rush to another…), I am struck by all the blessings I [...]

Five hours spent with a ten-year survivor is nothing short of inspiring. On Friday I spent the day interviewing and filming a fellow prostate cancer patient, Trip Casscells, in Washington, D.C. I have to say, Trip is no ordinary man. At age 49, Trip experienced lower back pain that became progressively worse. Then, one night, he felt a lump in his [...]

There is no such thing as small change when to comes to  making a big difference with Movember. As I wrote last week, the world is about to launch into Movember… that time of year when facial follicles sprout to support prostate cancer awareness and research. So, forgive me, I am compelled to make a SMALL pitch…Even though [...]

Living with a potentially life-threatening disease isn’t easy, but it makes one think. Any patient living with a life-threatening disease is forced to live with what I call the “overhang.” It’s that nagging realization that our disease can decide to progress at any time, according to the dictates of its own biological clock and will, [...]

Movember is approaching–It’s that time of year for frivolous fun to support fantastic feats of science. For those of you who might not be familiar with Movember, it’s the annual movement to raise awareness for prostate cancer and crucial funding to support advanced research for better treatments and cures. In a few short years, it has sprouted from a campaign born [...]

The prospect of bone metastases looms in the minds of patients with advanced disease. Now, new understanding and treatments for bone metastases deliver promise. Each year, approximately 300,000 American patients suffer from bone metastases. These metastases contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced cancer. I, like many other patients, often wonder if i [...]

One laudable step for NASDAQ, one giant leap forward for the prostate cancer cause. It’s been years since I have sent postcards. As our world continues to shrink and millions more can say been there, seen it, they seem nothing short of antiquated unless the notes they carry are highly personalized. Facebooking and Tweeting are far more efficient means of broadcasting [...]