The Road to Hell

You Know What It's Paved With

One of the biggest reasons I didn’t want to divulge my diagnosis is that it would change the way work feels to me. It’s difficult to explain, but for the past few months (before Monday), I’ve been able to host a radio show and lose myself in it. Sometimes, an hour or two would go by without me thinking about the disease in my body that is trying to kill me. It was such a refuge.

I had to balance that against my obligation to use my platform to help other people. Surely, there were guys out there who needed a nudge to get their PSA checked or make an appointment with their physicians. How selfish would I be if I kept my diagnosis to myself and a limited circle of friends and family, when I can use my radio show to advocate for men’s health? I’ve been supported by so many people during my fifteen years on the air in Tampa Bay, so how could I think about keeping my prostate cancer hidden from them?

So, on Monday, I spilled the news. I tried hard to explain how I’m not looking for “I’m sorry” or “How unfair,” and that while I appreciate the prayers of people I don’t know…it would be awesome to simply share my message, have dudes (and ladies) hear it and go to the doctor, and move on.

The fact that I thought this was even a remote possibility was laughable.