Month 166 – Expanding My Audience

On By DanIn Prostate Cancer

Between this prostate cancer blog and my travel blog, you’ve probably figured out that I enjoy the process of writing and sharing my experiences. While I’m no Pulitzer-prize winning author, a few people close to me have encouraged me to do something more formal—to “write a book.” I always thanked them for their compliment, and then gently set aside the notion of ever getting something published.

Until June.

Yes, I’ve been sitting on a little secret for almost three months. The editor of Cancer Health magazine came across my little ol’ blog and approached me to write an essay for their Voices column for their Fall 2024 issue of their magazine.

My initial reaction was one of surprise and intrigue and—if I’m being honest—a bit of anxiety. In the initial contact email, there wasn’t a ton of information about expectations, so I went to the website and looked at some of the archived Voices columns to see what might be involved. “Oh. I could do that.”

I went back to the editor and said, “I’m in.”

Prior to this, I had a vague understanding of the publishing process and knew that there would be some discussion about topics, length of the article, and deadlines. It would soon be followed by submitting drafts and digesting feedback. Also included in the exchange was a six-page contract covering usage rights and compensation.

I’m someone who’s better known for my spreadsheets than my writing, so when the editor read the final draft and said, “Wow… this one reads really great….Honestly, there’s very little I’d change in this…” I have to admit my chest puffed out a with a bit of pride.

After the magazine went live this week (hardcopy and online), I can now add “published author” to my résumé.

Is it a book? Nope. But we all start with baby steps, and a 500-word essay is my first step into the publishing world. Is this the beginning of something larger? Who knows. I enjoyed the whole process, and the editor did encourage future submissions. In the meantime, I’ll stick to self-publishing on my little ol’ blogs for now.

You may read the article here:

How to Navigate Conflicting Cancer Treatment Advice

Header Image: August Moonrise over San Diego, California skyline

12 thoughts on “Month 166 – Expanding My Audience”

  2. jamesvancouverisland's avatar jamesvancouverisland

    Great work Dan . I left a comment on your new article. Great job ! Bang on ! Im feeling ok , PSA sliding south , now at 0.041 from 0.056, then 0.072 six months ago , and about 14 months ago 0.14 before that ! Progress I guess ! You like travel ? Anywhere in SE Asia ? I have a place in the Philippines, so that is base camp for ventures to Vietnam, Malaysia and so on …. Life is good ! God Bless! James on Vancouver Island.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi James,

      So glad to hear that your PSA is trending in the right direction. Congrats! Thanks, too, for your kind words.

      The Navy took me to the Philippines several times (Subic Bay / Olongapo when we had a base there). I can’t say that I was particularly fond of the Philippines, mainly because I’m a heat-and-humidity wimp, and the Philippines are the definition of heat and humidity! 😂 (At least that was my experience—it seemed like I couldn’t even dry off after getting out of the shower.)

      I did enjoy my time in Asia. I was stationed at Yokosuka outside of Tokyo for a year and in Seoul, South Korea for two years. My ships took me to Hong Kong (while still a British colony), Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and down under to Australia a couple of times (Darwin, Perth, and Albany). I remember having some tasty German potato salad in Phuket, Thailand. Apparently, there are a lot of German expats there, and I had to compare theirs to my German grandmother’s potato salad.

      There’s definitely more to explore in that part of the world.

      Wishing you all the best,
      Dan

      Like

      Reply
  4. The Black Hole's avatar The Black Hole

    congratulations Dan, on becoming a published author. I’ve always fely you had an easy to read writing style, sort of like hearing from a friend. So this honor/new endeavor is well deserved in my book.

    btw, if you don’t mind I’d like to share the link to your article with my group at Healingwell, I think many would enjoy reading it.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Jason's avatar Jason

    Hi Dan,

    I discovered your blog after a link was posted on the healingwell.com prostate cancer support forum. I have slowly gone through the entire blog just finishing this morning. Thank you for making such a well written document outlining your experiences.

    I was diagnosed last January with Gleason 3 + 4 but only one core with 5% of category 4. I received conflicting advice from several urologists but decided to go with active surveillance. Even though a repeat MRI last month showed no change, the Decipher genetic test I got last month puts me in high risk. I was just told yesterday that I really should have had my prostate removed back in March because of this. The Decipher report says that I already have a 24% chance that it’s metastasized. My surgery is scheduled for 10/21/24.

    I can relate to so much of what you write concerning the frustration of getting different opinions and conflicting advice even from experts. I wish you well in your continued experience with this disease. I will be following along!

    Jason

    Like

    Reply

    1. Hi Jason,

      Thanks for your kind words and sharing your story. I’m sorry you had to join this club.

      Interestingly, I’ve never had the Decipher test done. At this point in my journey, I wonder if there would be value in having it? Hmmm…

      I’m curious as to what your PSA was at diagnosis and what it’s done between January and now. Has it remained steady, or has it increased over time? At what rate?

      I know the PSA test is not the be all to end all, but it can be a good tool in detecting trends and how rapidly things are changing.

      I hope your surgery goes well, and feel free to reach out at any time. I won’t offer medical recommendations, but I can offer insights based on my own experience.

      All the best,

      Dan

      Like

      Reply
      1. delectablyzealous4acf776747's avatar delectablyzealous4acf776747

        My PSA was at 5.1 in December 2023. It actually dropped to 3.8 when I was retested in June 2024. I’m 52, the same age as when you were diagnosed, in good health and, of course, asymptomatic.

        I have terrible family history of cancer on both sides including both prostate and breast cancer though three of my grandparents lived into their mid 90s. The one who didn’t died of prostate cancer as did my father. It made sense to test my genetic propensity and it’s no surprise I came out with a high risk score though it was on the low end of high risk at .61 (high risk starts at .60).

        I read with interest your observations as to whether you might have tried radiation as the initial treatment with the information available now. I thoroughly looked into this option but was forcefully told by radiation oncologists that I would not be a good candidate due to ongoing rectal problems. I’ve had three rectal surgeries including one for a fistula way back when I was only 22. That forced me to change my calculus and really only leaves surgery. I thought I was doing fine on AS but that test changed everything. If you’d like to read my whole story it can be found here:

        https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=4343684

        Like

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.