Movember 2012

It is now 8 days into the month formally known as November, for those of you questioning what has happened to November, it's name has changed to Movember. You may have thought the world has gone crazy if you've stepped out your house and noticed many men sporting a furry upper lip. This is what Movember has done, it's a way for men to help make more men aware of male illness's and cancers such as prostate and testicular, cancers which kill so many men, yet in most cases are easily curable. Check the Movember website out here for more details and you can donate here

It's been shown in recent years that promoting awareness helps, look at what women do with the run for life where women run 10k to raise breast cancer awareness or the tinkled pink promotion where they ask people to wear pink etc. For men it's simple the whole month of November you grow a Mo, a moustache. Simple, start 1st Movember freshly shaven and then let everyone see that you can grow facial hair, that you are a man! Women can also bet involved, by supporting men, drawing a moustache on at events etc, as men who participate are called Mo Bro's, women are called Mo' Sisters. Obviously different peoples ability to grow facial hair dictates on there success/humiliation factor, but at the end of the day they are trying, are you? Well heres my effort so far.....

Movember is there to raise money for research into Men's cancers and to, maybe most importantly to encourage men to go see there doctors for a simple check up. Men statistically fail to do this, as men we often notice something may not be right with our health and shy away and neglect it, hoping that if we forget about it then it'll go away, but you know what guys, this is down right stupid, we can't do this, this is playing with your own life, your own health, probably both physically and mentally.

Let me give you an example. When I was around 15, I noticed a lump. Now being that age, I was scared, even more so because it was on one of my testicles. I wasn't sure what to do, so I ignored it, I didn't tell anyone, I didn't try to speak to my doctor, I was defiantly not going to speak to my parents or my friends. At 15 I thought the best thing to do was try forget about it, surely it was nothing and after a couple of days it would go away, life would go on as usual and I'd carry on like nothing ever happened. But guess what, it didn't go away, I would often think and worry about it thinking that something was wrong with me, it was my fault this had happened, it was something I had done or I was weird and if anyone found out they would laugh at me.

I let this go on for 3 years, Knowing full well that this could be something serious, that it could possibly be the Big C. After 3 years I'd decided enough was enough, I'm being stupid and playing Russian roulette with my own life not knowing, and knew that there was only one thing to do. So I made an appointment with my Doctor, within 5 minutes of breaking down to the doctor and being checked I was assured that it wasn't cancerous and more than likely a simple Cyst that wouldn't affect me. They did thorough testing and within the week the results came back as clear. Overnight relief for something I had worried about for over 3 years, so how stupid had I been.

I often think that them 3 years of my life, the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the worry could've been easily avoided had I simply seen my doctor. After all they are qualified to help, they are professional people who won't laugh at me, snigger behind my back, or tell the whole town about me. But you know what the worst thing was, having to tell my own mother that for 3 years I had been so stupid with my health, having to tell my family who only care and want the best for me that something so simple could've been put to bed so easily. That even if the lump was cancerous that chances are early detection would've been successful and that by me putting it off I risked that success rate.

I could never imagine putting my loved ones through that again and so every Movember, I pledge to grow a Mo, raise some money, make men more aware of their health and most importantly get myself a check up, and if in the rest of the year I notice something is wrong, I'll be making an appointment straight away.

So this is why Movember means a lot to me, I support any charity that supports men's health because although I have been incredibly lucky in my story that unfortunately somewhere another guy is doing exactly what I did all those years ago, and risking his life and being stupid and foolish. Guys if you notice something is wrong go see your Doctor. Get a check up every year, it doesn't take long, because if you don't you might be playing Russian Roulette with your own life.

So once again please donate to help raise awareness and help to find treatments. You can donate here
Thank you.