Prostate cancer has sometimes been called the male equivalent of breast cancer, and is an increasing problem for American men.  It has been estimated that 48,000 American men will die in 2000 of this disease and over three hundred fifty thousand more will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate.   Although there have been recent accounts in the media of public figures such as General Norman Swarzcoff, Senator Bob Dole and Arnold Palmer and their treatment for prostate cancer, we rarely have had the opportunity to read an account of what this disease means to the average man on the street.  This chronicle of Mr. Gray’s journey and his fight with prostate cancer is both typical and unique at the same time.

It is typical in the way Mr. Gray found out that he had prostate cancer. Like most men of his age he had no outward symptoms, and it was only by chance during a general physical exam (the last one was five years earlier) that he had the first indication of a problem. The disease was successfully treated in a small community clinic using cutting edge technologies and newly developed capabilities in modern urology.

Mr. Gray’s medical journey is unique, because he has the ability to see humor, or more importantly he can create humor even in the most humbling of experiences. This positive and humorous attitude not only helped him through his medical treatments, it was also enormously uplifting for his family, friends and the medical staff around him. As you read this courageous account of Mr. Gray’s adventures, I hope you will come to the conclusion that prostate cancer is not the end of the world. It can be beaten especially if it is diagnosed in its early stages, and if you have a positive attitude you can have a good laugh along the way.