Taking a break from the cuteness for a brief Elliott inspired discussion. With colleagues at work, I participated in Movember through the month of November. This is a fun little movement to promote awareness and concern about male forms of cancer.
Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.
I did not fund raise this year; if you'd like to donate, I encourage you to donate at Tim Sehn's movember page. Instead, I used it as a means of awareness raising.
Following the popular meme associated with my generation, I will indulge in a little over-disclosure.
23andMe tells me that I have the wrong versions of SNPs
rs6983267,
rs4430796,
rs1512268 and others. Combined, their estimate is that I have a 1.9x increased odds.
As the cutting edge of medicine stands today, one in six men will develop prostate cancer before the age of 80. With my genetic make-up, the statistic rises to 33.9%. Elliott's genetic profile is still pending, but there is a pretty good chance his makeup is similar. Fortunately, prostate cancer is not terminal for most of the men who develop it; unfortunately, a small percent of one in six means that it is still the
second most common terminal cancer.
Wouldn't it be great if Elliott never had to worry about prostate cancer? Or testicular cancer? Cancer in general? If not Elliott's generation, his children?
For putting up with this somber message, we end with yet another cute baby picture. Elliott and I took a parting shot of our successful Mo's.
