Yorkville, Ohio 2017

Thank you Mayor Blair Closser and the Village of Yorkville! For your continued support with raising awareness for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Chuy's Easton

Petey has found a new home! He is at Chuy's at Easton in Columbus, Ohio.

We Did It!

Dear Champions:

Thank you!  After 10 years, your collective efforts of miles traveled to DC, steps walked on the Hill, keys typed on keyboards, buttons dialed on phones, Tweets tweeted and posts shared, has resulted in the first increase to the Prostate Cancer Research Program in over a decade.

The FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act has passed the Senate by a vote of 79-18. The President is expected to sign the bill into law this week.

We thank you and ask that you stay in the fight with us for another ten years and bring ten people with you!

Click to view or press release below:

https://zerocancer.org/zeronews/historic-victory-prostate-cancer-congress-adds-10-million-research-program/

Rossford, Ohio 2017

Thank you Mayor Neil MacKinnion and the City of Rossford for your support with Prostate Cancer Awareness Month! #PCAM

70 Proclamations and Resolutions for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 2017!

I have received some already and some are going to be read and presented at Council members in August and September! Thank you to all the elected officials who have supported us in the past and in the future!

And Thank you to those who have accepted the challenge to light a Landmark Blue or tie Blue ribbons in your community showing support as well. Just imagine the lives you are touching and showing those fighting that you care. And honor those who have lost their battle. They may be gone but not forgotten!

PCAM Proclamation Team
Ohio

Funding increase

We are so close to the first increase to the Prostate Cancer Research Program in over a decade!

A few minutes ago, the House of Representatives passed the 2017 bill that provides funding to the government by a vote of 309-118.  In this bill is the $90M for the Prostate Cancer Research Program.

The funding bill must now pass the Senate (tonight or tomorrow) and then the President must sign (which he said he would do).

Keep a drink for yourself on ice tonight or a strong coffee ready in the morning.  We are very close!

Whether you've been to one summit or ten, written letters, called offices, or had meetings in your district, this is a collective effort and you're almost there.

Stay tuned!

Norwalk, Ohio 2017

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Dear Mayor, Council Members, Trustees, Commissioners, Representatives and Senators

**Press Release **

Each September, the nation recognizes prostate cancer awareness month to help defeat the third leading cause of cancer deaths among men. An estimated 27,000 husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and grandfathers will lose their lives to prostate cancer in 2017.

An Ohio resident has been hard at work to ensure that these proclamations are renewed annually. Linda Hoetger has spoken with local leaders to remind communities of the pain and suffering of prostate cancer. As a result, more than 300 Mayors, Legislators, City Council Members, and Town/Village managers and County Commissioners will issue a proclamation or resolution declaring September prostate cancer awareness month.

My name is Linda Hoetger, I am a wife & caregiver of a Prostate Cancer Survivor, PCAM (Prostate  Cancer Awareness Month) Proclamation Team  Member & Advocate with ZERO The End of Prostate Cancer, the mom of 4 sons, a new grandmother of two grandsons. One is Bi-racial with prostate cancer on both sides of family. My husband is a Retired Veteran of the U.S. Air Force.  Did you know In Ohio an estimated 5,840 new cases of prostate cancer and an estimated 1,020 deaths will occur? Did you know that a male at any age has a risk of developing prostate Cancer? This disease has even been diagnosed in children, the youngest Survivor that we have been honored to have met was 9 years old when he was diagnosed with his first battle with prostate cancer. His second battle with prostate cancer occurred at age 12. I can not imagine being told that my child has prostate cancer.

My Journey began June 19, 2009 we were told the devastating news that my husband has an aggressive form of prostate cancer, we were both stunned, shocked and horrified. We had to learn a new foreign language PSA, Gleason, positive margins just to name a few. It is hard enough trying to deal with the diagnosis and finding even harder that when you say these two words Prostate Cancer, people run the other way. I know it is hard for men to talk after their diagnosis with prostate cancer, it is not just a Man’s disease it is a Couple’s disease. For our families every day and month is Prostate Cancer Awareness 24/7 365!

We are coming up on our 8th year after the diagnosis and it has become my mission to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer in September and through out the year. I am reaching out to every City, Village and Townships, Representatives, Senators, Congressional members & Commissioners in Ohio asking for support with a Proclamation or Resolution for Prostate Cancer Awareness in September and would love to have your support.  Since my husband’s diagnosis I have met many families of prostate cancer, sadly some of them have lost their battle from this horrible disease.  My heart breaks every time I hear the news and it makes me fight harder to raise awareness to let the families know that their loved one is still thought of and hopefully one day Prostate Cancer will be a disease that men will never have to hear those devastating word. I am sorry you have prostate cancer!                                    

I have gained overwhelming support from Mayors, Council members and Trustees from across Ohio and is asking for your support too. Many are living in your community and have not had the courage to speak up to share their Journey with others. With signing a proclamation or resolution from you City, Village or Township lets those dealing with prostate cancer know that they are not alone. And someone cares.   I have gained  the support from Representative Heather Bishoff, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Senator Kevin Bacon, Adams County Board of Commissioners,  Chalmers P. Wylie Department of Veterans Affairs and keeps growing. Mayor Rich Harman of the Village of Woodville has went above and beyond supporting prostate cancer awareness. By lighting Landmarks and placing Blue ribbons in the Village. In 2017 more Representatives, Senate and Congress members are joining in to help raise awareness for prostate cancer.  I have sample text of the Whereas for the Proclamation or feel free to use your own. Please feel free to share it with others as well it is my goal that every City, Village and Township will have a Proclamation/Resolution in place by September. We are again gaining support from Commissioners from around Ohio. I encourage you to contact those around your community and ask for their support in raising awareness for prostate cancer. Together we can end prostate cancer!
Every year  my husband and I attend the ZERO Summit in Washington, DC and speak with elected officials from Ohio. I take the Proclamations and Resolutions with me and share them on Capitol Hill to encourage those to keep the funding and research in the FY budget. My husband and I were on Capitol Hill March 1, 2017 along with other prostate cancer fighters speaking with Senators and Congress Members. As we were leaving Capitol Hill we learned that $10 Million was added to the budget for FY17. The budget for prostate cancer research and funding is now $90 Million.

My challenge you to illuminate a Landmark Blue in September. Some Villages has tied Blue ribbons in the town showing their support.  Please consider supporting to have Ohio be the first State to have all cities supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness.

Can I count on your City, Village and Township? Please feel free to share and encourage others to support our cause.

I have a blog for raising awareness as well. Peteytheprostatecrusader(dot)blogspot.com

Thank you for your consideration,
Linda Hoetger and the prostate cancer community

Please send a copy to:
Linda Hoetger
PCAM (Prostate Cancer Awareness Month) Proclamation Team
***(Please contact for address)***
Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110
614-312-5576 Mobile/Text

**Please write on envelopes **
Do not bend

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month

Whereas, Prostate cancer constitutes 19% of all cancer diagnoses and 8% of all cancer deaths; and

Whereas, In Ohio an estimated 5,840 new cases of prostate cancer and an estimated 1,020 deaths will occur; and

Whereas, Men with relatives – father, brother, son – with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease; and

Whereas, Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to get prostate cancer; and

Whereas, Prostate cancer is most commonly diagnosed cancer in American Men and the third leading cause of cancer death behind lung and colon cancer; and

Whereas, this year approximately 161,360 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States alone every year – that’s one man every 3.3 minutes and roughly 26,730 die this year from the disease – which is one man every 20 minutes; and

Whereas, 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. African American men are at the highest risk for the disease with a rate of 1 in 6 men. African American men are 2.3 times more likely to die from the disease: and

Whereas, Education regarding prostate cancer and early detection strategies is critical to saving lives, preserving, and protecting our families; and

Whereas, all men are at risk for prostate cancer and we encourage the citizens of (City) to increase the importance of prostate screenings.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Database

I have been building a database with DejaOffice on my Galaxy Tablet.  I update the information continously and add as much as possible. There is a notes section at the bottom. In this section I add emails for that contact, so it can be easily found. Below are screen shots of what mine looks like.

PCAM Proclamation Team Member

I am a PCAM Proclamation Team Member for Ohio now. This has been something I have been working on since 2014. With over 300 Mayors, Council members, Trustees and Commissioners contacted in raising awareness for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (PCAM)
Proclamations Toolkit

Chardon, Ohio 2017

Thank you Mayor Nancy McArthur and City of Chardon for your support in raising awareness for prostate cancer!

#CountMeIn

Dear Linda,

As part of our #CountMeIn campaign, we wanted you to have this news hot off the press. This week’s major win for early detection!

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) revised its recommendation on prostate cancer testing from a “D” to a “C” rating, meaning men will no longer be discouraged from getting tested for a disease that kills a man every 20 minutes.

It confirms what you and I knew all along: early detection saves lives. And it happened because of your passionate commitment to the importance of early detection by sharing your story and fighting for increased research.

It doesn’t end here. We need your help to undo a decade-long message that told men at risk to not get tested. Together, we must continue to be the leader in early detection awareness.

To help you navigate next steps and what the new recommendation means for patients and families, ZERO convened an expert panel with the American Urological Association and the Men’s Health Network. Here is a link to a short video presentation:

https://youtu.be/pYtFzHV4Pi0

Know others who would like to be part our community in the fight against prostate cancer? Please invite them to have their voices heard by joining #CountMeIn!

Gratefully,

Jamie Bearse
President & CEO
ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer

Can you hear us now?

Weather or not our story made a difference in the decision with the current changes to the USPSTF.

I am excited to hear The USPSTF recommends that clinicians inform men ages 55 to 69 years about the potential benefits and harms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)–based screening for prostate cancer.

Testifying at the Ohio Statehouse in 2013 and 2014

This is from when we testified at the Ohio Statehouse on the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force hearings. 

Heather Bishoff (@HeatherBishoff) tweeted at 9:46 PM on Wed, Jan 08, 2014:
@PeteyProstate Well done & Congrats on passage of SCR10! My Peteys look on at Ray testifying below #prostatecancer

Senate Medicaid, Health, & Human Services Committee
November 20, 2013
S.C.R. 10
Proponent Testimony

On June 19, 2009 my life as a wife had forever changed in to a prostate cancer caregiver wife. My husband’s PSA rose from 7.91 to 8.42 in little over one month. June 15th a PSA and Biopsy were done I never gave it a thought that we would be called back to Wright-Patterson 4 days later and I needed to be there. That morning of the 19th I was not thinking that there was anything wrong! But when we get to the base it was strange to hear that the doctor cleared his morning schedule to talk with us. Thought it was strange but no RED flags here! The doctor comes out to greet us and he had this strange look on his face. We get into his office and sit down and he tells us…I am sorry Sergeant Hoetger your biopsy came back positive for an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Stunned, shocked, numb are just a few words that I can describe on that day. My tears started flowing, and then my husband’s eyes. This is no news one wants to hear but for a doctor to have to tell the patient or the wife! After all the tears and trying to absorb the diagnosis the doctor took the time to discuss the tests in depth, treatment options, questions. Ray did not want to hear any option except the prostate is causing the problem then take it out NOW! The Urologist said to become students and learn everything about prostate cancer and so that is what I did. I did research all the options and tried to share them with Ray but he did not want to hear any of them except surgery!

Ray was diagnosed at 56 years old with prostate cancer with a simple PSA blood test that the United States Preventative Task Force recommends against at any age. I do not agree with their recommendations as the wife of a Prostate Cancer Survivor and also a Mom of young sons’ in their 20’s. It was devastating hearing that my husband was diagnosed but hearing it from my sons! When there is a simple PSA blood test that could save their life?

Linda Hoetger
ZERO The End of Prostate Cancer
Central Ohio Regional Coordinator

Grove City, Ohio 2017

Thank you Mayor Richard Stage for your support with prostate cancer awareness!

Whereas: it is one of the privileges of the Mayor to recognize the important occurrence in our community: and

Adelphi, Ohio 2017

Proclamation from the Village of Adelphi, Ohio 43101 naming September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

We applaud your personal efforts to bring awareness to this issue. Thank You !

1 Million Likes...

Hanover Township, Ohio 2017

Prostate Cancer Awareness resolution passed by Hanover Township in Butler County Ohio.

Kite flying

Petey loves the outdoors! The only way it is possible for him to enjoy this. He gets his PSA requrarly. How about you?

Born to be wild!

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty speaks to Congress

Congresswoman Joyce  Beatty shares her support for Prostate Cancer Awareness to Congress on our 32nd Wedding Anniversary!

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month!

Whitehall, Ohio 2017

Thank you Mayor Kim Maggard and the City of Whitehall for your support with prostate cancer awareness!

Questions to ask...

April showers