Seattle, WA Dentist | Movember, Why grow a Mo?
Why grow a Mo? Men are facing a health crisis that isn’t being talked about. They are dying too young, before their time. Join me this Movember, grow your moustache for men’s health. Together let’s raise awareness and funds for Men’s Health: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
5 years ago I started participating in Movember. I lost my father when he was only 69 years young to prostate cancer. He rocked a mustache for as long as I could remember and only when chemotherapy prevented facial hair was he without his stache. He fought a valiant battle for 6 years against a disease that can be detected early. My dad refused to visit a physician for a good health check up. He had symptoms, but refused to acknowledge them, whether because of fear or pride. But he suffered in silence until it was too late.
He only discovered his prostate cancer by chance when he was hospitalized for a gall bladder attack. The team at the hospital decided it was best to run a PSA blood test since it had been so long since his last physical. The PSA test is a simple blood test that every man should have done starting at the age of 40, younger if you have a family history. His PSA test results were off the chart, 1100. Normal PSA scores will vary depending on age, but 2.5-4 is normal. Needless to say, he had advanced prostate cancer.
I miss my dad every day and it saddens me that he will never meet his 3 grandsons. Movember has given me an excellent way to show my support and educate the men in the world about our health and how important it is. All too often, we are inundated with health information about eating and exercising as men. We see billboards about dating, getting a 6 pack, or hair loss. Yet we don’t see a billboard saying, “Have you had your prostate checked recently,” or “Feeling depressed, don’t be afraid to talk to someone.” All too often, we are suffering in silence, whether a stigma of being too manly to be depressed or a fear of knowing there is a problem.
As a dentist, I have a unique opportunity to interact with about 500 hundred people during the month of November in my practice. This does not include friends, family or any other social interaction. A mustache can be quite the conversation piece. –Dr. Amato
