29 Dec 2008   Men, Cancer and Special Considerations                                       Articles Carin g Hansen http://EzineArticles.com/?id=1789290   There is much attention given to women and the emotional issues they struggle with while journeying through cancer. Because of  my involvement as a cancer survivor, author and speaker regarding these emotional issues I find that men journeying through cancer have  two major struggles that should be addressed. Many people, females and males alike, do not think that it is as traumatic for men to lose their hair during treatment as a woman  because it is in vogue to be bald. However, it can be just as devastating for men as for women. The fact is that there is virtually no one  who wants to boldly announce to everyone they come in contact with, both friends and strangers, that they are journeying through cancer.  If a man has a full head of hair and over the course of several weeks he loses most or all of it, he has made that announcement. There is  also the loss of eyebrows that increases the volume of the announcement.  Men journeying through cancer should be encouraged to consider hair and brow prosthetics just as much as women. It ultimately is  up to him but the choice should at least be presented. There are some great toupees available if he decides that is right for him. If the  career a man has dictates he be in front of groups of people on a regular basis, not having eyebrows is a give-away that he is having some  type of chemotherapy or medical treatment even if he has chosen to purchase and wear a toupee. Until recently there have not been many  viable options for brow replacement on men. I have found a wonderful product called nuBrow. These false eyebrows are easily applied with  a non-toxic adhesive and are very natural looking. They are available in medium brown and can be worn as is or dyed with an  eyebrow/eyelash tint to match his natural hair color. They can also be trimmed to fit the look they prefer. With gentle care a pair of these  eyebrow will last 4-6 weeks and the cost is nominal. The other emotional issue is one that I cannot totally relate to being female, but I can relate to feelings of decreased femininity.  From my conversations with male cancer patients it is evident there is the potential for the same feelings relating to masculinity. Men who  have a hormone-based cancer, such as prostate or breast, should be aware that treatment may leave them sterile. Having sperm frozen in  a sperm bank can offer some security and comfort should they become sterile. They should check with their doctor to see if this is  something they should consider doing. Whether he is planning on having children (or more children) is not the complete issue here. These  types of cancer attack their perception of themselves as men. Just knowing they have sperm available, should they want it, can be a  tremendous boost to their masculine well-being!  Carin g Hansen Home, Books, Resources, Recommended Products, Articles, Blog, Homemade Beauty, Support, Services, About, Contact Us, Site Map, Newsletters