I DON'T WANT TO BE A POSTER BOY

I am about to ask you to make a pledge or contribution in my name in the fight against bladder cancer, the 4th most prevalent cancer among men, and the most costly to treat.

As a sufferer myself, a “suffering” that I have always preferred to keep private, I understand the almost pathological fear people have of the “C-word.” I am also weary of the parade of celebrities who leap into the public eye with an announcement of some kind of cancer. Which is why I feel embarrassed to ask for a donation. (The website explains the need better than I can.)

Bladder cancer is sinister because there is no pain associated with its arrival. There is blood in the urine. Cystoscopy will reveal tumours in the bladder. For many years I had suffered from a kind of chronic cystitis for which my doctor advised copious quantities of cranberry juice. But in 1990 came the blood.

Twelve years of treatment, sometimes painful, always uncomfortable, and the cancer could not be stopped. It was almost too late. Eleven hours on the operating table and everything south of my kidneys was removed. Enough medical revelation.

I have never wanted to be a poster boy for the disease. I preferred to “suffer” silently. It was mine. Perhaps my inherent narcissism (which I detested) kept me from “going public.”

Now I have. On October 2nd I will join fellow bladder cancer people on a 5 k walk. As with all these things, I ask you to make a contribution in my name, to “sponsor” me on this walk. (Even with my relatively new hip, I will make the trudge.)

To contribute go to cbcan.org. Follow the instructions.

I only hope I am not violating my own principle that the baring of one’s soul can sometimes be a form of the old “look at me” problem. I’ll survive.