Boss of one of NZ’s biggest companies has been battling prostate cancer for the past year

NZ HERALD: Fisher & Paykel Appliances chief executive John Bongard says he has been grappling with prostate cancer for the past year and will leave the business at the end of the year. READ MORE>

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NZ politician Mike Lee tells how prostate cancer hit him at time of David Beckham debacle

JULY 12: SUNDAY STAR-TIMES:  Prominent Labour local body politician Mike Lee (59) revealed today he has “mid-range aggressive” prostate cancer and is undergoing external beam radiation and hormone therapy.

The Star-Times today reveals the story of how this hit him at a time when his position of chairman of the Auckland Regional Council was under severe pressure, following the organisation’s disastrous backing of a David Beckham soccer match in Auckland last year.  READ MORE>

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PROSTATE STORY: Cancer patient writes in New York Times about his experiences

MAY 20: NEW YORK TIMES:  Personal story: I learned I had prostate cancer in April 2008. And this time there has been none of the naïveté of the 12-year-old, nor the heedlessness of the 27-year-old. When you’re 50, even if you don’t have cancer, mortality is not an abstraction. READ MORE>

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PROSTATE ‘CLUB’: There were enough of us to have our own table

MAY 16: PROSTABLOG NZ:  The extent of the prostate “epidemic” becomes all too obvious when you attend a gathering of people from your profession (well, occupation: it’s journalism, after all).

Last night 350 NZ journalists, the best in the business, attended the annual Qantas Media Awards dinner in Wellington. Many are “seniors” like me, who’ve been around the industry for many decades – and there were enough prostate cancer survivors for us to have had our own table.

The awards dinner organiser, Barry Young, is a prostate survivor and for years has headed the Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ.

Usually at these annual gatherings, which are about the only time each year our industry gets together, I spend a long, happy night tracking down former students and colleagues and talking endless shop.

Last night was different. Yes, there were the pleasant catchups, but I spent most of the evening in deep discussion with fellow survivors, some of whom I’d known already had prostate cancer. Now, I was able to talk more knowledgably with them.

In the odd fellowship that seems to be created by an illness like this, you find a lot of people opening up: most of them knew about my experience because of this blog.

Men don’t easily talk about these things. Some, I hope, will now join the NZ Prostate Discussion Group so we can continue the dialogue of mutual support. It’s needed.

I have to say it was good to be able to show everyone I’m alive and kicking – and to take no longer at the urinal than some of my much younger colleagues. Is that OTT? Oh well…

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PROSTATE LEGACY: Sufferers have duty to write about cancer experience

ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER BLOG: Leaving a written legacy of our experience with prostate cancer is important, writes blogger Joel. READ MORE>

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PROSTATE SURVIVOR STORY: ‘A lot of men won’t talk about it’

TULSA WORLD:  “Unfortunately for a lot of them, it’s kind of a private thing,” says Tulsan prostate survivor Kirk Bailey. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but I think a lot of guys are embarrassed by admitting they have prostate cancer.” READ MORE>

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COMING OUT: Prominent US sports coach tells his prostate cancer story

SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE:  A PROMINENT US basketball coach reveals he is a cancer survivor, and he figures the more people know about the disease, the better. Hiding is not educational. READ MORE>

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