Northern Health Matters — Men’s Health

Tales from the man cave: Wonderful communities in action

May 9, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

Jim at the community health fair in Valemount.

I was recently in Valemount at a health fair put on by the community, which was funded by a Healthy Communities grant.

Every move counts

For a small village community of about 1,200 or so, Valemount is punching well above its weight by walking the world. I believe they want to clock about 50,000km. This community is really engaged in increasing wellness by active living and this is a beautiful place on the planet in which to do so.

At the Poker walk, we had a small crowd take off and start the trail of five stations. I was on station number five and the sun was shining down on me gently. I had been starved of this sun from a long winter but I did my healthy living bit by wearing a hat to protect my aging and balding head from its rays.

I met some lovely people there who are really engaged in the well-being of their community and under the tent, a stone’s throw away, there is much laughing and comedy.

On the trail of Bigfoot

These things are, in my opinion, great measures of health. Life is serious but we can have fun with it nonetheless. Speaking of which, Bigfoot was reportedly seen in many areas of the walk and locals are calling to have him registered as a highly protected species. Reportedly, Bigfoot was photographed in 1957 and is Valemount’s equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. I am sure its presence made some of the locals break the record for the round trip on the trail.

Keeping healthy is very important and these folks are showing me that it can be a lot of fun as well. There is a real community effort and it feels good to be here among them. My gut tells me that building a healthy community has to begin with social gatherings of this nature that aim to invigorate and support each individual to be the best they can be. It feels as if Valemount is doing this really well.

For more information on what Valemount is doing, visit their Facebook group page.

For more information on building healthy communities, visit the community health information portal.

About Jim Coyle

Jim is a tobacco reduction coordinator with the men’s health program, and has a background in psychiatry and care of the elderly. In former times, Jim was director of care at Simon Fraser Lodge and clinical coordinator at the Brain Injury Group. He came to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland 20 years ago and, when not at work, Jim plays in the band Out of Alba and spends time with his family.

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Tales from the Man Cave: National day of mourning for workers killed or injured on the job

April 25, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

Protect yourself: one injury is one too many and a loss of life at work unthinkable.

This Sunday, April 28th, we reflect on the carnage that injury and death play in the work place.

I can’t help reminisce about working as a young lad in construction in 1976 and the mad men that were my mentors. One of them, John, was in his 50s and was like someone from cirque du soleil. He danced across a 4 inch beam 40 feet in the air and spanning some 20 feet in length. No safety net for a true dare devil. They all were pushing the limits of what was possible and no one ever said, ‘Hey guys, put on a hard hat or tether yourself on that beam!’

I wonder if anyone cared back then.

Personally, at 19 years old, I almost came a cropper on a steel rafter of an old factory’s asbestos roof which we were dismantling. Thirty feet up with acetylene and oxygen torch, I merrily burned my way through a metal beam that was holding the tension on the one upon which I stood. Too much caught up on the prowess of this newly found skill to think about what came next.

Sure enough, what came next was the beam being sprung like a guitar string and me with it. I was up in the air holding on to the beam for my life with one hand while the other held onto the torch which was hundreds of degrees Celsius.

The men came up to the beam and rescued me and it gave them a good laugh for a while. Being the butt of a crew’s jokes is somehow not funny but next time I would take a little more time with my environment.

It was dangerous work and I was not going to stay in that line of business, good money or not, and after a year I was out of there.

In the accident and emergency department of Glasgow Royal infirmary, I met some of those types of men again, guys like John who had fallen 30-40 feet with no helmet and in seriously bad shape. Some never made it and it seemed to me there was a lot of falls back in Glasgow in that month of 1985; many of the men were roofers of the buildings four stories high. I also worked as the industrial nurse at John Browns Engineering in Glasgow for a time and became rather skilled at removing metal from the workers eyes – no one was wearing safety glasses.

Similarly in health care, back injury only became a problem when it started costing money and likewise violence against healthcare workers was swept under the rug as part of the job.

When I look back, I know for sure that we have improved our safety record, but the problem is that one injury is one too many and a loss of life at work unthinkable.

To find out more about National Day of Mourning for those killed or injured on the job, visit the WorkSafeBC website or their list of ceremonies in your area.

About Jim Coyle

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Filed Under: Health Awareness, Men's Health Tagged With: injuries, Men's Health, safety, workplace

Tales from the man cave: Why should I care about my health?

April 11, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

“Rich” is being healthy in mind, body and spirit.

If I had a million dollars
I’d be rich the song tells us. But what really is being rich? Would a million make me happier? Oh yeah, but maybe just for a little while.

Being healthy is being rich
Rich in mind, body and spirit. Healthy in relationships at home, at work, and in the community, and for all this you need a good balance of work/rest, diet, exercise and self-care of the spiritual kind, whatever that means to you. That could be reading an inspirational book, looking at art going to musical shows or meditation and prayer. There are as many pathways to the spiritual as there are creatures.

Mental health
A colleague reminded me that when I disregard my own health, I am disregarding the health and well-being of those who love me. That startled me a little.

The story runs like this: I am tough, I only whine at my spouse when I have a cold, but out of the house I am a real hero and there is nothing wrong with me. Cool! That’s what men are like… or are we?

Men are not indestructible
We are not indestructible but each unique man is certainly irreplaceable. Men are under stress: working demanding jobs, being fathers, lovers, etc. Just being men is stressful, I suppose, dealing with an ever-changing world with its ever-changing values.

We are not weak
When we worry, we are not weak, but sometimes we just don’t want to know if there is something wrong.

Oh, if illness was so simple
We are at risk for prostate and colorectal cancer in greater numbers than before, as well as heart disease and lung disease, and alarmingly, increased suicide risk.

Visit our men’s health site for more info about this. You need to.

Some of the things we don’t want to know about can kill us, so it’s good to be aware of two things: our tendency towards toughing it out and our tendency to bury our heads in the sand.

Lads let’s get regular checkups even with the risk that they find ‘something.’ If not for ourselves then maybe, more importantly, let’s do it for those who love us.

About Jim Coyle

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Filed Under: Men's Health Tagged With: balance, men, Men's Health

Tales from the man cave: Prostate cancer support group

March 27, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

Prince George Prostate Cancer Support Group

I spoke recently with John Kason of the Prince George Rotary Club. Like most Rotarians, he likes to keep the spotlight on the work being done by the club in collaboration with Canfor – in this case, men’s health screenings for prostate cancer.

Background

On November 10th of last year, the Rotary Club of Prince George organized a men’s health and prostate cancer awareness fundraiser called the “Big Blue Ball,” the first of its kind in northern B.C.

The end result was a sum of money for quarterly men’s health clinics throughout 2013, and startup funds for a local prostate cancer support network (now established, called the “Prince George Prostate Cancer Support Group”). The next sessions are Saturday, May 11, 2013 and Saturday, August 10, 2013.

Don’t you just love the sound of that rubber glove snapping onto the wrist in poetic majesty? The ‘dread,’ or DRE, otherwise known as the digital rectal exam is here to stay.

Please Doctor, why can’t I just have a blood test?

Well you can but the DRE is a must have. The PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test is the simplest way to get tested but it can give higher reading for different reasons so the DRE is indeed necessary.

I do know this though – over the years, a sense of humour has been very appropriate to break the ice at that particular moment (while the doctor slips into something more comfortable – that aforementioned rubber glove). It is at least an excuse for a few jokes at work.

Here is where I put in my disclaimer. Some prostate cancers are very slow growing and, in my opinion, the jury is out as to the value of treatment at all, however, it is better to know what is going on and be monitored by your doctor than to bury your head in the sand.

The groups have organized screening events which continue throughout the year. Testing is being provided at no cost to participants and registration is now open.

Please visit www.thebigblueball.ca or call 250.617.2711 for more information and to register.

About Jim Coyle

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Filed Under: Men's Health Tagged With: Big Blue Ball, men, Men's Health, Prince George, prostate cancer

Interview with Ride for Dad’s Charles Brunette

March 14, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

Raising funds for the fight against prostate cancer.

The Northern BC Ride for Dad was founded in October 2010 in order to raise awareness, educate and raise funds for prostate cancer research. I recently talked with one of the organizers, Charles Brunette.

Can you tell me a little about the Ride for Dad campaign?

The Ride for Dad campaign is a way of raising awareness and funds for research and treatment of prostate cancer. We have a dedicated group of 11 individuals who plan and organize the events during the course of the year and on ride day, in excess of 50 volunteers come together to support the cause. So join us on ride day and help us raise awareness about prostate cancer. All the money raised stays local.

Can you tell me, Charles, what inspired you to start the Ride for Dad campaign in Prince George?

I lost a close friend to prostate cancer a while ago and decided I would try and do something about it. I contacted Ride for Dad, which has campaigns in 31 cities throughout Canada, and started a chapter here in Prince George for northern B.C. The campaign raises funds through many initiatives but ride day is our major fundraiser with registration, souvenir sales and a poker run.

What’s the poker run?

A poker run is an event where participants, usually using motorcycles, must visit five to seven checkpoints drawing a playing card at each one.

The object is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run.

Where and when is the next event?

Saturday June 15^th 2013. Registration is 9a.m. to 10:45a.m. and the ride departs at 11a.m. sharp. There is also a pre-registration on Friday, June 14 at 7p.m. to 9p.m. All events are centered at the Kinsmen Hall in Prince George.

The parade starts at the Kinsmen Hall and returns for lunch and then we do the poker run which of course raises the money. The turnout is pretty decent with around 150 riders last year and this continues to build yearly.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE TO JOIN THE FIGHT!

Charles, I used to have a 50cc Honda – would I have been able to join? People used to shout “hair-dryer!” when I zoomed past them. It was so fast it once threw me over the roof of a car when it refused to brake. Luckily the car wasn’t harmed.

Well Jim you would be welcome but you might have trouble keeping up with my wife – her bike has 1800cc!

Perhaps I could tie a rope onto to her back seat!

Actually we are not just looking for riders – everybody is welcome to participate and help raise money for the cause. You could become a ride champion and raise funds that way. I can’t emphasize enough how important that is.

Charles what is the most important message that you would like to get across in this interview?

The most important message that I have to give is this: Men, get checked. It’s a simple test, takes very little time and early treatment has a good outcome. I know men don’t like going to the doctor. I only went because my wife put some pressure on me but really there is no good reason for us men not to have the test.

For more information about joining the event as a rider or other check out the website and make this year’s event even better. It’s a good cause.