Mention the words “prostate cancer” on the driving range at any golf course and you instantly have a dozen new friends. So prevalent is this disease in our aging male population that everybody seems to have a story. Either an uncle,

Caller ID said it was the doctor’s office. By now, I recognized the phone number. And I knew what it was about. Recently, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Once I got over that shocking news, I quickly realized this was only the

They were young and beautiful and smart, just the kind of lunch companions older men like to be seen with at a downtown restaurant. Good for the image. And the ego. I was, of course, charming and witty and wise and completely in control until

Men get nervous when you start talking about nerves. Especially the ones connected to our manhood. It’s a very delicate subject for men because a large part of our self-worth is directly connected to sexual performance. It doesn’t

People come up to me with kindness and concern in their voices, asking how I’m doing, hoping not to say the wrong thing. When you get cancer, any kind of cancer, it instantly assigns you to the other side of that invisible line that

I haven’t spent much time in hospitals. Wasn’t even born in one. Somebody removed my tonsils when I was little, but all I remember is the ice cream. Other than that, I’ve been disgustingly healthy, breezing through the medical

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ken Burger is executive sports editor for The Post and Courier. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Feb. 2 and is documenting his journey in this weekly series of columns. Radical prostate surgery can be very humbling.

Six weeks out of surgery, it’s all a blur. That realization hit me last week when I went almost an entire day without thinking or talking about prostate cancer. Seems like my life has been filled with nothing but talk of prostate cancer

Every weekday morning, I walk into Roper Hospital, drop my pants, lie down on a table and listen as a big whirring, purring machine zaps my body with radiation. One year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, the battle continues. But mine

have a confession to make. I’m not the same person I was a year ago. In some ways I’m more. In some ways I’m less. Cancer does that to you. For those who have followed my progress since the beginning, an update probably is