As many of you may know from a post on my Facebook page, Marion and I have joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s “100 Miles in March” challenge. It’s a fundraiser and, equally important, it’s a project to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

In both regards, fundraising and awareness, the Facebook post generated a stunning outpouring of attention and support – one that has humbled and inspired us. If you haven’t seen that post, here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/320131473365407/10226059414819408/

Marion, I and many others are well on our way toward 100 miles (or more) in March, and we’ll be reporting back throughout the month.

In a related development, that Facebook post attracted the attention of the sponsoring organization. The Prostate Cancer Foundation’s leaders then apparently found their way to this blog, and they asked me to write what they called “an op-ed” for them. Their marching (walking) orders: “How you handled your diagnosis of metastatic PCa – not just in terms of treatment, but emotionally and with your family – and why it is so important to do things like 100 Miles in March.”

I’ve written that piece (which is about twice as long as they requested, not an unusual problem for me). When the foundation posts it, I’ll link to it here and on Facebook.

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One other update: This past week featured another PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test, a form of disease monitoring I’ve insisted on doing every two months rather than at the more common four-month intervals. The last time we waited four months to keep an eye on this…all hell ensued.

These tests always generate stress and anxiety because one day they will show that current treatments have stopped working and we need to climb the scaffold to more powerful treatments with more difficult side effects.

This time around, I was (privately) more concerned than usual, insofar as some of the side effects and physical discomforts have grown worse. But…

Good news: The PSA number continues to decline, slightly but enough to provide reassurance that, for now, we keep walking that walk, too.

Take care. Have a good week. If you’re a guy, have your PSA tested regularly. If you’re a gal, make sure the guys in your life have their PSA tested regularly.