“SEA Stories” – About Prostate Cancer Support, Education & Advocacy
SEA Stories are real life accounts of personal experiences with prostate cancer. These stories highlight the importance of Support, Education and Advocacy within the prostate cancer community. We would like to show the full range of what people are experiencing, so what you read here might be sad, funny, confusing, beautiful, angry, or triumphant. Some deal specifically with our SEA Blue Prostate Cancer Walk & Run. We would like to showcase as many stories as possible and we will continue to add to this page.
Long-Time SEA Blue Participant, Us TOO Support Group Attendee and Prostate Cancer Warrior
Horst Elendt is a regular, long-time participant in the SEA Blue Chicago Prostate Cancer Walk and Run. He is also someone who has directly experienced the positive impact of an Us TOO support group. Twenty-three years ago, he was prepared to undergo a radical prostatectomy to treat his prostate cancer. Through his attendance at the Bill Blair/Russ Gould Us TOO group in Inverness, IL, he learned about active surveillance as a possible treatment option for his situation. Twenty-three years later, we are pleased to have Horst and his family joining us once again at SEA Blue. CLICK HERE to read Horst’s story.
(Pictured: Horst Elendt)
Us TOO Board Member, Prostate Cancer Warrior, and SEA Blue Participant
Jerry Deans is an Us TOO Board Member, prostate cancer Warrior, and long-time participant of the Annual SEA Blue Chicago Prostate Cancer Walk & Run. Last year Jerry shared some of his personal journey with his SEA Story. This year, he provides heartfelt, courageous and inspirational perspective on entering a "fresh chapter" in his life…
CLICK HERE to read Jerry’s SEA story.
K-Hits 104.3 FM Radio Personality and Prostate Cancer Warrior
Dave Fogel is a popular Chicago radio personality on K-Hits 104.3 FM. He caught his prostate cancer early through a PSA test and wants to help spread awareness about the disease. Dave will be joining us for the 5K run this year at the 13th Annual SEA Blue Chicago Prostate Cancer Walk and Run.
CLICK HERE to read Dave’s story.
SEA Blue Participant, Runner, and Prostate Cancer Survivor
Thomas Braun had prostate cancer surgery in June of 2016. Exactly one year later, he ran a marathon. This September 10th, he is looking forward to running with his team “Running for Pops” at SEA Blue.
CLICK HERE to read Thomas's inspiring story.
Us TOO Support Group Leader – Modesto, CA
Ken is a valuable asset to Us TOO in his role as the Modesto, CA Support Group Leader. He works together with his local team to strengthen and extend the reach of Us TOO in his community. The integrity, warmth and compassion that he provides to his group each month supports the credibility of the organization.
CLICK HERE to read Ken’s thoughts on Support, Education, and Advocacy.
Founder of the SEA Blue Chicago Prostate Cancer Walk & Run
11 years ago, Myrna Porter saw a need to bring the prostate cancer community together, increase awareness, and help raise funds to provide support and education for those affected by the disease. She helped fill that need as one of the founders of SEA Blue.
CLICK HERE to read an interview with Myrna.
(Pictured: Myrna Porter with SEA Blue co-founder, Russ Gould)
Longtime SEA Blue Participant, and Vice Chairman of the Us TOO Board of Directors
Jerry Deans is a longtime participant in SEA Blue and a highly valued member of the Us TOO team. As Vice Chairman of the Us TOO Board of Directors, Jerry provides guidance and leadership based, in large part, on his experience as a prostate cancer survivor. He has a long history of helping others through many different difficult situations. His outlook on life is truly inspirational and well worth your time to read.
CLICK HERE to read a personal experience from Jerry Deans.
(Pictured: Jerry Deans)
Captain of SEA Blue Team Trinco
Team Trinco is one of the longest running (and regularly one of the largest) teams at SEA Blue. Their arrival at the event site is always a busload of vim, vigor, blazing blue, and early morning enthusiasm. This SEA Story describes what makes the team tick.
CLICK HERE to read a spotlight on Team Trinco.
(Pictured: Darryl and Debbie Trinco)
SEA Stories: Quotes of Hope
– Arthur Fowle – Newnan, Georgia
Click here to read Arthur’s SEA (Support, Education, and Advocacy) Story
– Don Trappler – Cape May, New Jersey
– Ray & Marilyn Barba – Florence, Oregon
– Jeff Shea – Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Since 2012, the Us TOO prostate cancer support group in Rochester NY has conducted monthly patient education seminars on a wide variety of topics – one topic per month, facilitated by a local urologist, oncologist or subject matter expert. However, when I attended the Austin Us TOO Community Conversation online, I was truly impressed by a number of observations:
- It was very easy for this senior citizen with limited computer skills to get logged into the conversation.
- In just a couple of hours the program covered the importance of early detection, staging, imaging techniques, and risk vs. benefit of multiple treatment options including surgery and radiation; and even hot-button topics like proton beam radiation, stereotactic radiation, and the recently FDA approved HIFU.
- Most impressive was that in just a couple of hours, and in the convenience of my home with my morning coffee at my side, this online conversation covered topics that takes our support group a full year of monthly meetings, and scheduling a dozen urologists or oncologists, to discuss.
- I felt like I was actually attending the conference.
As a chapter leader with four years’ experience planning monthly meetings for those affected by prostate cancer in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region, I am sensitive to the growing need for this level of patient support and education. I only hope that Us TOO International can continue to conduct this Community Conversation program quarterly in 2017. It is my intention to approach our regional cancer centers and ask their management to consider a plan for making future Us TOO Community Conversations available for viewing in a conference room or auditorium and to then promote attendance among their patients and the larger community.
– Patrick Fisher – Rochester, New York
– Walt D’Ardenne – Santa Cruz, California
– Howard Waage, Facilitator, Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group
– Roy and Helen Francis – Mornington Peninsula, Australia
We now meet monthly at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine. At each meeting we have an expert guest speaker, clinician, researcher or scientist who presents cutting edge science and day-to- day pragmatic data. Being an US TOO New York prostate cancer fighter member and group co- leader has made an enormous impact on the quality and meaning of my life. Volunteering with prostate cancer fighters and their significant others has given me a voice and platform locally and regionally to educate, inform and to be as helpful as I possibly could be to the many hundreds of people over the years that I’ve had the privilege to encounter.
– Jack David Marcus – New York City, New York
– Harvey Orlov – Palatine, Illinois
– Steve Gordon and Ginya Carnahan – Sarasota, Florida
– Meghan and Evey Dencs – McHenry, Illinois
– Richard Nesbitt – Marshfield, Wisconsin
– Gary and Joanna Sanders – Mapleton, Oregon
If you have a SEA Story you would like to share about your personal experience with prostate cancer or the support community, please contact Tim Mix, Communications Manager at timothym@ustoo.org or 630-795-1002.
If you would like to make a donation to help Us TOO help others, CLICK HERE.