A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

I celebrated Prostate Cancer Awareness Month very differently this year - I was diagnosed with it! What could make 2020 even 2020-er? Finding out my nephew received the same diagnosis the same week as me.

A therapeutic humorist applies jokes to life's problems

As a therapeutic humorist, my job is to see how humor can be applied to life's problems. So I guess I threw myself into my work this year. Every day of September I wrote at least one joke on life with PCa, and delivered a 5 minute set on a virtual open mic every Saturday. I now have 20 minutes of material. 40 more and I can have a Netflix special.

When I first got the diagnosis, I was kind of mad at my doctor. I mean, I had to wait for an hour for him to tell me I had PCa? That visit should have been free, but no, I had to pay the full co-pay. Not even a senior discount. "Here's your diagnosis, here's a booklet, maybe you should consider radiation." Thanks, doc.

Active surveillance or stalking myself?

So I'm really thinking about Active Surveillance, but it makes it sound like I'm stalking myself. The only known side-effect is having crossed fingers. I wake up every morning, look at my crotch, and say, "Don't get any ideas." Sir Ian McKellen, he's been doing active surveillance for over ten years, but he's Gandalf. No rogue cells are going to wander off. He looks in the mirror and shouts "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" and he's good for a year.

Prostobots performing surgery

Surgery sounded like a good idea until they told me it was going to be done robotically. What kind of evil genius invents Prostobots? "Danger, Will Robinson, report to the operating room." Not comfortable with robots. Found out my Roomba tapped into my wifi so he could take lessons in surgery. He's been following me around lately. I'm afraid I'll wake up one morning with a catheter and the Roomba will be doing his little victory song. I hate the Internet of things.

Turning facts into jokes

I do want to thank Prostatecancer.net for providing the facts that went into the open mic set. I was happy when I received that little blue band, but I wasn't sure where I was supposed to put it on.

I'll be here all week. Tip your waiter and try the vegan.

Jim-Bob Williams