2012 Prostate Cancer Pony Express is In the History Books

The 2012 Prostate Cancer Pony Express Ended It’s 171 Day Ride on September 9, 2012

2012 Prostate Cancer Pony Express at the White House

What an Adventure!

Over 160 motorcycle relay riders; 171 days; more than 25,000 miles; 50 state capitols; 11 new state proclamations about prostate cancer; reaching more that 1 million men with the prostate cancer early detection message.

A huge thanks to all of our volunteer riders and coordinators – Dick, Dan, Mark, and many, many others.

Want to Put some Adventure in Your Life for a Critical Cause?

Click the following link to join the email list and receive information updates as we develop the 2013 event schedule: 2013 Prostate Cancer Pony Express event schedule.

Help Us Carry this Critical Message to Congress

Prostate cancer needs more public attention and more research attention and funding.  Congress has lots of issues on the table and they pay attention to those issues that are important to many people.

The bigger we can grow the Prostate Cancer Pony Express the faster we’ll be able to influence Congress. We look forward to having you with us in Washington next September.

Warm regards,

Robert Hess

Rider #1

Where to make hotel reservations for September 8th

Hi All:

The hotel for the evening of Saturday, 8 September is the Best Western on Richmond Highway in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. http://bit.ly/BestWesternMtVernon

Everyone makes their own reservations directly.

There will be a welcome get together at the hotel at 6:30 pm September 8th.

Hope to see you there!

Why men need to track the annual change in their PSA values

From a Prostate Cancer Pony Express Rider

Hi, today is 4 weeks since my surgery.  This has all happened very fast and pretty much by accident…routine lab work but doctor said “you”re almost 50, let”s include a PSA”.

I’m 49 and on April 24th I recieved the call that my biopsy was positive for cancer. The Big C is a big deal in my family (father, uncles, etc.).

How to ensure you have early warning of prostate cancer

The story above happens more than 240,000 times each year in the United States; a new case of prostate cancer every 131 seconds.

Photoelectrochemical biochip (Photo credit: Argonne National Laboratory)

Surviving prostate cancer means catching it early.  The best current early warning sign is a rising PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test.

You can create a free PSA tracking account at http://ProstateTracker.org that will remind you by email when your annual test is due and will show you if your PSA number is increasing.

How to slow prostate cancer recurrence

If you are a prostate cancer survivor as I am, 9 years last month, the recurrence of your prostate cancer is an ongoing concern. I test and track my PSA every six months and beginning this month I’ll be tracking it using my free Internet account at ProstateTracker.org.

Dr. Snuffy Myers has been running a series of video casts about his prostate cancer arrest program, which I believe is worth listening to and following.

I’ve read The China Study by Colin Campbell, which I recommend to everyone, and I’m working my way through materials about the Gerson Therapy program.

Both the China Study and the Gerson Therapy program focus on the food we eat – and don’t eat – as the most fundamental tool available for preventing and curing disease. Dr. Myers’s approach is very similar.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences.

PS: Our 2012 Prostate Cancer Pony Express is riding across the US and back for prostate cancer awareness. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman meet with our riders Tuesday and personally signed our Pony Express flag. Thank you Governor Heineman.

Follow out riders live on the Internet at @ http://bit.ly/ProstateCancerPonyExpressLive

How to improve your communications with your doctor

Talking to your doctor is usually pretty intimidating.

We all learned to be deferential to doctors. That’s just the way we were brought up. But that deference can raise high barriers to getting the advice and medical care you need. This is particularly true to men – who hate to go to the doctors office in the first.

The usual dialogue goes something like this:

Doctor. Hi Joe. How are you doing today?

Joe: Great doc.

Doctor: So how are you feeling?

Joe: Pretty good (even though he isn’t).

The doctor then does his routine exam and Joe is out the door without really asking the questions he wanted answered.

You aren’t Alone in this Situation
A recent study clearly illustrates that this communication problem is widespread: Afraid to Speak Up at the Doctor’s Office? http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/afr …

We’ve all been there; sitting on the exam table in a gown with our bums hanging out the back while our doctor talks to us in his official white coat with his stethoscope looped around his neck.  How intimidating is that!

The Solution? Take a Wingman
During part of my military career I was stationed at European Command Headquarters in Germany and traveled frequently to francophone sub-Saharan Africa where I routinely interacted with African military leaders in French.

Although I could speak French, I found that my conversations were much more fruitful when I used the State Department officer that accompanied me to translate the comments from French to English. This gave me time to think about what was being said and the appropriate response rather than on translation process.

Having a second person with you at important meetings with your doctor can ensure you ask the right questions and hear what the doctor is saying.

Having a good wingman is incredibly valuable, and in most cases your wife or significant other is the best wingman you can have.

What I did on National Cancer Survivor Day

English: A view across Augusta County in the Shenandoah Valley. The photo was taken from the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Harriston, VA. The Allegheny range is in the far background. Photographed by Nathaniel R. Stickley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today was a beautiful day here in the Shenandoah Valley, and I spent most of the day with daughter number two, three of my eight grandchildren, and my aunt, who will turn 96 next month.

I’m a nine year prostate cancer survivor and my Aunt Thelma is 15 year melanoma survivor, who has a great attitude on life. She’s still charging along, cooking, creating her crafts, and telling stories to whoever will listen.

It was a great day to be alive.  I hope everyone enjoyed it to the fullest and found something to be thankful for.

All my best to the cancer survivor community.

Related articles

• National Cancer Survivors Day (minbcnews.com)

Sunday, June 3rd, is the 25th National Cancer Survivor’s Day. What will you be doing?

Hi Everyone:
Kent Leipold, Prostate Cancer Pony Express Rider #86, reminded me that Sunday, June 3rd, is the 25th National Cancer Survivor’s Day.
I know some of us will be on the road with the Pony Express. Please share your thoughts and what you’ll be doing on Sunday!
http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2012/NCSDay_news.shtml

Day 69 – Thanks Michelle and Lynt Hurdman

Just finished memorial service at Shenandoah Harley-Davidson in Staunton. It was a great first event. Our sincere thanks to the Hurdmans, Shenandoah Harley’s owners, for supporting this project. And a big thanks to General Manager Jonathan King, Kimberley Dritto, and the other staff members who made the event happen.

David from Staunton TV3 came covered the event and wrote a nice article that you can read and listen to online at http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/Pony_Express_Rides_Again_To_Talk_About_Cancer_154552225.html

I left Shenandoah HD just after 1pm, heading to Washington, DC Harley-Davidson to connect with Mike Chalmers, who will be leading the Annapolis, MD to Mt. Version, VA segment on September 8th.

My route took me through rural Louisa County and it was an absolutely beautiful ride; warm, sunny, two lanes roads through forested sections that dappled the road with sunshine and shadows. It very much reminded me of the rural Virginia I enjoyed as a youngster.

I had dinner with Mike and learned about his prostate cancer story. One thing that struck me was the fact that his doctor did his needle biopsies without a local anesthetic. I have had a number of men tell this same story, and I can’t imagine how painful that must be. I also can’t understand how a doctor would be a biopsy procedure without using local anesthetic. My guess is that those that don’t have never had the experience.

Talking about Prostate Cancer Risk at Shenandoah Harley-Davidson

Virginia Ambassador and Prostate Cancer Pony Express Rider Number 6, Jim Schnitzhofer

Next post will be from Rolling Thunder in Washington, DC on Sunday.

Day 67 – Richmond, Virginia

The Prostate Cancer Pony Express arrived today at the capitol in Richmond, Virginia.

Three Iron Butt Prostate Cancer Pony Express riders brought the dispatch bag and memorial journal from the governor’s office in North Carolina.

The riders delivered a letter to Governor McDonald pointing out the importance of prostate cancer awareness and early detection, and the governor’s office gave a riders a Gubernatorial Proclamation officially making September Prostate Cancer Awareness month in Virginia.,

The next stop is Washington, DC, over memorial day weekend, followed by West Virginia and points west.

You can follow the riders live on Google maps @ http://bit.ly/ProstateCancerPonyExpressLive

Ride with us. Sign up at http://bit.ly/2012ProstateCancerPonyExpressRegistration

Support the riders @ http://www.active.com/donate/2012PCPonyExpress

How a motorcycle ride can find prostate cancer

The Prostate Cancer Pony Express is criss-crossing the US this year raising awareness for prostate cancer.

A wonderful group of relay riders are carrying our dispatch bag with our memorial journal from state capitol-to-state capitol, connecting with men and urging state governments to join with us in prostate cancer awareness.

One of our early events took place in Hammond, Louisiana, at Hammond Harley-Davidson. You can see the pictures on our Facebook PAGE HERE.

That event may just have saved three men’s lives

“Also FYI, we did a prostate screening at the dealership the morning that Dick was with us, we performed @ 20 PSA tests and from that number there was 3 abnormal results presented with two of those being scheduled for surgery, all three where asymptomatic surprised with the lab results and are now eternally grateful for possibly having saved their lives. This all, because of you, your organization and the efforts to inform the masses.”

Why men need to screen for prostate cancer

– Prostate cancer generally doesn’t have symptoms until it is at an advanced stage

– Early detection is critical

How to know if your prostate cancer risk is rising

– Create a free account atProstateTracker.org

– Enter the results of your annual PSA test each year

– ProstateTracker.org will send you a reminder when you next test is due

– Your ProstateTracker account will show you if your prostate cancer risk is rising

What’s your next step?

– Create your free prostate cancer early warning systems at http://ProstateTracker.org