By Robert Washburn
A colleague shared the spirit of Movember with me on the way out the door Friday.
It seems her husband had a beautiful moustache when he was younger, but it did not suit him as he grew older. So, off it came.
Now, for Movember, he is growing it back, much to her chagrin. Like the rest of us, it tends to be a bit pokey (her term) in the early stages. She does not like it very much, but her brother beat prostate cancer, meaning she will bear it for his sake.
One in seven men in Canada will get prostate cancer. The chances are even greater if there is a history of the disease in the family. It is expected more than 25,000 men will be diagnosed. If detected early, there is a good chance it can be beaten.
The symptoms can include slow or painful urination, blood or pus in urine, painful ejaculation and pain in the lower back or abdomen, pelvis or upper thighs.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people are affected. As people comment on my appearance, it general leads to a quick conversation about prostate cancer. Nearly everyone has a story, someone they know who has had a brush with it.
It is hard to believe one can learn so much just by growing a moustache.