Michael Vass annual medical exam - 3.11.2008.2

Once a year I take a moment to speak about health, particularly mine. That time has come again this year.

I cannot emphasize enough the need to be sure of your medical health. Often it’s because men, especially African American and Hispanic/Latino men, rarely go to the doctor when we are sick it’s normally a very bad situation. Far too common is the fact that a little prevention like an annual checkup is all that is needed to catch a cancer in its early stages.

This is even more important if you have family history that makes you at higher risk. In my family I have had a sister, who is younger than me, diagnosed with early stage cancer. That was found by luck during an exam. My father had cancer of the tongue, high blood pressure, and diabetes. My grand-mother died of a heart attack in her 60’s. None of these things are unusual in Black families. In fact I had my best friend lose his father to Prostate cancer that was not detected until late stage of the disease. And it killed him. He was only in his 50’s. As was my father.

So yes I take this serious. And so should you. I don’t like doctors any more than anyone else. And as a small business owner I don’t have health insurance so the cash coming out of my pocket is huge. Yet it’s money worth it.

• My total cholesterol was at 128. Which is highly desirable and means a lowered risk of heart disease.
  
• My blood pressure is 102/94 which is also good.
  
• My heart rate is about 78, which is ok.
  
• My AIDS test was negative. I get that checked every year, and have been since I was in the military at age 18. It’s always good to know.
  
• My PSA, a prostate cancer test, was .7, down from .97 the year before. This is an excellent report.
  
• But a potential negative is that my C-protein test was high, and up by 100%. While still in low range, it is a forward indicator of potential heart disease. Thus I need to stop (or at least cut back under the 1 pack a day I’m at) my smoking, eat vegetables (which I despise), work out, and learn how much fat I eat and cut it to 30%. Drinking is also a factor in this I’m told.
  

But I recently learned from my doctor that 15% of men that have normal results from the PSA test may still have prostate cancer. Thus at the ripe age of 39 years 11 months and 27 days to go I had my first prostate exam. It was not something I was looking forward to, but was long overdue.

Because of the prevalence of Black men getting and dying from prostate cancer it’s recommended that we start getting checked at 35. My best friend started at 33 because of his father. And if you think, like I did, that a normal PSA means you don’t need the exam, remember this. My doctor knows a man that had a normal test and upon the exam was found to have early stage cancer. Because it was found the cancer was removed and the guy is living a normal life. Had he not, the PSA may not have found anything until far too late.

And as men of color, who don’t like tests and doctors as is, do you really want to risk missing a cancer that we are in the highest risk group for? Especially since the exam does not cost anything extra?

Now I won’t tell you the exam was pleasant. It wasn’t. And as embarrassing as it was I will tell you this, it was not as bad as you imagine it to be. Maybe 30 seconds of feeling highly unpleasant, but not extreme pain. But it confirmed that I have no signs of this killer disease among people of color.

I rarely see any bloggers, especially blogs by men of color, which discuss this. It needs to be talked about a bit. It will save lives.

Get an annual physical. Check for diabetes, AIDS, prostate cancer. Check your cholesterol levels and other tests. Even if you don’t think you need it. Because like insurance, you only will be concerned after you find out that you need it.

Why hasn't Al Sharpton gone to West Virginia

Post written by guest blogger CMiller

I am going to have to say that it is a shame upon the Black community when the Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Jessie Jackson have not even shown up to champion the Black woman who was brutalized by 6 white people that consisted of 2 white females and 4 white males. My gosh even the Federal government has abandoned this poor woman by not calling this a hate crime. If it was not a crime that consisted of major amounts of hate then what would you call it. Why in the world would 2 women be involved in such a crime being committed against another woman? Could it be because she is a black woman? I believe the possibility is more than present in this case.

But again I must ask, where is the Black community’s voice on this matter. Its as if everyone thinks its ok for such a heinous crime to be committed against a Black woman and that the reaction should be next to invisible to the American public. Why in the world would the major news media not be interested in such a story. One would think that the way they latch on to bad news within the Black community that for once they could come to the aid of one of us.

It would seem that no one is interested in helping this poor woman not even spiritually it would seem, do to the lack of even the ambulance chasers being at her side.

I say this would be such a blight on the Black community if this one slips between the cracks. Are we not sick to death of what happens to Blacks, for the love of pete its 2007 and we are still being made victims by the major news media. I expected BET to have something to say about this but I was wrong. I hope for the sake of this woman that the Black bloggers out there in the world come together and help this woman so that she will not be forgotten. That for once justice will be done and served to the fullest extent of the law.

Should this woman be forgotten, everyone of us should stop and think how they would feel if that woman was their mother, sister, daughter, aunt or cousin. Would it be so easy to forget then or would a cry of outrage erupt from your soul for what horror she had to endure at the hands of 6 hateful white people.

Regardless of the color of this woman’s skin, no person should go through what she had to endure. All women are sisters and should stand together and support one of our own. I am saddened that in America people can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the plight of one of its own.

Our community needs to pull together and support this poor woman in her time of need. Respect her privacy but don’t’ forget her. She after all is one of us.

Does a name change make BET and Viacom good guys? - 7.24.2007.1

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
--From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Of course a mess might smell the same too. The news is out that Black Entertainment Television, and its Parent company Viacom, have reacted to the massive and growing negative attention that has come from, predominantly black, bloggers. The groundswell had grown to include several news media sources, each wondering why Viacom via BET would not reveal any information on the proposed Hot Ghetto Mess. As I had posted previously, even executives within the company had not seen the show, it was a dirty little secret, or so everyone was left to conclude.

But, like a thief in the night, BET changed things in a last minute attempt to salvage a quickly deteriorating situation. The title of the program has been changed to We Got To Do Better, and BET release the following information:

“This week, BET will be launching a new series called WE GOT TO DO BETTER, a half-hour video clip show that, at its core, is pure social commentary.

The show’s original title was HOT GHETTO MESS: WE GOT TO DO BETTER. We’ve decided to change the name because we want to highlight the show’s real intent, which is to offer social commentary in a context that sparks dialogue, debate, and most importantly, change.

Additionally, the early misperceptions about the show and its title were diverting attention from the overall original programming strategy we’ve begun implementing at BET Networks – which is to deliver smart, creative shows that explore the full range of the Black experience. Our 2007 slate is the most ambitious and diverse aggregation of Black programming in television history, and it features a wide range of genres – from inspirational shows like EXALTED!, to animated comedy shows like BUFU, to family entertainment like SUNDAY BEST. As we move into the fall season and 2008, you’ll continue to see the increase in the quality, quantity and breadth of shows that we have to offer at BET.”

If you look on the BET website, you won’t find any of the links to the show. Gone is the blackface character, and the page highlighting the new program. Looking at the schedule of BET, you will see that tomorrow at 10:30 the newly titled program is mentioned. The description of the program has not changed though. Other than replacing the title it remains the same.

So the question remains. Has BET been working furiously behind the scenes to revamp and change the nature of this program or is it still the same content with a new name and no conection to the insulting blackface. In about 24 hours, we will know.

Continued in Part 2...