So, you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Al Olsen doesn’t want to hear your complaints or self-pity.

He has heard it all before.

It’s not fair?

“Who told you life was fair?” he said.

Why me?

“Well, why not you?” Olsen said. “You want to give it to somebody else?”

Olsen, 70, paused.

“Stop whining and do things for other people.”

Olsen’s been there. Twice. After his second bout with prostate cancer, the retired business executive founded the Las Cruces chapter of us TOO International, Inc., a non-profit, grassroots education and support network for prostate cancer.he had heard of the us TOO chapter in St. Louis and attended meetings.

“They all had different modalities of treatment,” Olsen said. “They all had differnet perspectives. There was a camraderie because they were survivors and they were highly knowledgeable. they let me know what questions to ask, and to get other opinions.”

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in American men (behind skin cancer). the only cancer that kills more men is that of the lung. about one man in 36 will die of prostate cancer.

Unfortunately, the early stages of prostate cancer often aren’t marked by symptoms. the Mayo Clinic website indicates that these symptoms typically don’t arise till the disease is more advanced.

Ten years ago, that’s what happened to Bernie Ripper. he went to a cancer study in Utah and the medical team said he had an enlarged prostate, something he had to monitor.

His prostate kept growing.

“The shock of it is deveasting when it comes to you, because you have had no symptoms,” said Ripper, now 88. “All of the sudden your urologist says you need a biopsy.

“All you can think about is, ‘My god, I’ve got cancer.’”

Ripper’s doctor advised radiation treatment because a heart condition could have made surgery dangerous. Ripper endured 45 sessions of radiation therapy in three months.

His prostate cancer faded and the only lingering side effect of the treatment is moderate bowel incontinence.

“That’s the worst,” said Ripper, a member of us TOO Southern new Mexico. “But it’s something I can live with. I’m still alive.”

Ripper tries to keep that positive mindset in talking to new members at us TOO.

“The first thing we tell them is that it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “You can live with prostate cancer, but its got to be treated.”

When Olsen was first diagnosed in 1992, at age 50, he opted for surgery. his doctor said the operation cleared the cancer from his prostate.

Nine months later, during a routine follow up, Olsen’s test results alarmed doctors. he was hospitalized with obstructive pnuemonia. Further tests revealed that the prostate cancer had spread to Olsen’s lung.

“Then something remarkable happened,” Olsen said.

Olsen convinced his doctors to allow him out of the hospital for a day, Easter Sunday. he went to sing at Easter Mass. the following Tuesday, Olsen was slated to have his right lung removed. on Monday, during a final consultation for the surgery, doctors couldn’t locate the tumor.

Olsen remembers his doctor pacing.

“He kept saying, ‘I’ll be damned. I’ll be damned,’” Olsen said.

Was it divine intervention? or a faulty diagnosis?

Olsen didn’t offer an explanation. But his experiences with us TOO have led him to determine that one factor is critical in dealing with prostate cancer.

“Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of cases,” he said. “Attitude is really important.”

Olsen took an aggressive and positive attitude toward his battle with prostate cancer, something he said came from his experience in the business world.

“When faced with difficult situations, you’ve got to lead,” he said.

So Olsen trained and worked out. he would run up the down escalators at the St. Louis Union Station.

“I was young and I was in ripping good shape,” he said. “I worked my butt off, so I was strong as a horse. I was lean and mean.”

Sure, his body might have been in peak condition, but, for Olsen, it was more about his mindset.

Said Olsen: “I’ve seen cases where guys were determined to be terminal in six months, and four years later, they’re coming to my house to have coffee.”

James Staley can be reached at (575) 541-5476

By the numbers

1: Number of men, in six, that is at a lifetime risk of prostate cancer

2: Men diagnosed with prostate cancer every five minutes

70: Average age of diagnosis

30,350: Number of deaths every year from prostate cancer

2 million: Living American men who have survived prostate cancer

— Source: ustoo.org

What is it?

Prostate — a small, walnut-shaped gland near the bottom of the bladder that produces the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.

— Source: mayoclinic.com

Prostate cancer symptoms

trouble urinating

Frequent urge to urinate

Decreased force in urine stream

Blood in urine or semen

Painful ejaculation

Loss of appetite and weight

Leg swelling

Pelvic area discomfort

Bone pain

— Sources: ustoo.org, mayoclinic.com

At risk?

Age: The risk of the disease increases with age. It’s most common in men over 65.

Race: African-American and white men are at greatest risk. American Indians are at least risk. Hispanics fall in the middle.

Genetics: The more close relatives that have had prostate cancer, the more your risk increases.

Weight: Men with a body mass index over 32.5 have a greater risk of dying from prostate cancer; they are also more likely to have advanced disease that’s tougher to treat.

— Sources: the National Cancer Institute, ustoo.org, mayoclinic.com

Screening and diagnosis

Many organizations, such as us TOO, recommend yearly exams as early as age 35 if you are in a high risk group (African-American, obese, have close family with the disease). For every other man, these exams should begin no later than age 40.It’s important to note that the Mayo Clinic’s website says there are other organizations which advise against screening, and that it’s important to discuss it with your doctor.

Listed below are the tests us TOO recommends for men every year:

Prostate-specific antigen test — Through a blood sample, the doctor tests the levels of prostate-specific antigen, which is produced in a healthy prostate. If the level rises, that could be a sign of trouble.

Digital rectal exam — This is the test that is most often associated with prostate screening, and it’s one that many men dread. via the rectum, the doctor examines the prostate with a gloved and lubricated finger. If there are abnormalities, further tests may be necessary.

Us TOO recommends that men get screened once a year, either near their birthday or in September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Us TOO Southern new Mexico

What is it: a local prostate cancer education and support group, operating as an independent chapter under the parent group, us TOO International, Inc.

What it offers: Regular meetings for men living with prostate cancer, and their families. according to the us TOO website, the meetings, “provide unbiased information from experts in areas related to prostate cancer, including surgery, radiation, medications, nutrition, and psychology.”

When and where: the group meets locally the fourth Tuesday of every month at Memorial Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.For more information contact Bernie Ripper, (575) 521-7942