I just finished walking in the 2025 ZERO Prostate Cancer Walk at Liberty Station in Point Loma. Some of my closest friends and family joined me for a leisurely early morning stroll with several hundred other survivors, patients, families, and supporters. This year we raised just over $1000 dollars. Thank you so much for your support.

ZERO reached out to me ( literally ) the day before the event and asked if I would speak. I reluctantly agreed, prepared a speech, and was more than a little relieved that, in the chaos, the organizers never invited me up to the microphone. 

Sometimes things sound better on paper, anyway – especially when you’re vying for the attention of a half-awake crowd under the San Diego flight path, with jets doing their best to drown you out.

So, here’s what I was going to say…

Hi. My name is Scott.

I’m a prostate cancer survivor.

This is my fifth walk. 

I missed my first one in 2019 because I was still reeling from my diagnosis and all the awesome decisions that go with it ….

Decisions like….

Do I tell my kids? 

My family? 

My friends? 

The answer for me was yes. 

And I’m glad I did because they were, have been, and continue to be my own little support group. 

A lot of them are here today —-

——-aaaaaaaand I squeezed donations out of the ones who couldn’t be.

For such a common cancer, prostate cancer isn’t really talked about much. And I get it – sure – the prostate just isn’t as sexy to talk about as boobs. 

And ….  while I see sports teams of every shape and form wearing pink every October, blue is typically just an afterthought – like an accent color on a uniform.

That’s not to diminish any other cancer – we all have our battles to fight, right?  But the fact is : guys don’t like talking about their prostates. All of the accessories attached to the prostate are fair game – sure, but problems and worries and cancer? Hell, no.

That’s why I appreciate ZERO and this walk and their mission to keep men informed. ZERO gives a voice to something that no one wants to talk about. 

After my diagnosis I remember spending a lot of time on Google playing doctor 

——-and a lot of time with my doctor telling me to stay off of Google.

The problem with Google is that if you tell it you have a papercut? Google will have you wrapping a tourniquet around your finger and racing to the emergency room for a blood infusion.

And then there’s ZERO – a concise, informative mecca of information. 

If you haven’t visited in a while, you should. There’s information for those who have been newly diagnosed, caregivers – and survivors, like me.

Surviving is part of the battle, too – and I mean any cancer, not just prostate cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment is just part of the battle. 

After all that shit, you still gotta’ survive. And, I don’t mean just live – I mean you gotta sort out what the hell just happened to you, pick up the pieces, glue em’ all back together, and try and make something beautiful out of the mess it left behind.

When I was diagnosed years ago no one could tell me, honestly, if I’d be alright – and I don’t think I would have believed them anyway. 

I’m still working on it – but, yeah, I think I’ll be okay. 

But only because of the support I’ve had from

——-my family

My friends.

My doctors.

——-and organizations like ZERO.

Thank you.

If you want to read more about my prostate cancer journey I’ve posted ( and illustrated it ) here on DrawnAndCoded.

I can’t emphasize enough how I wouldn’t be here today without the love and support of so many people.

Thanks again.

Live live. Stay Healthy. And take care of yourselves out there.

-Scott

#prostatecancer #cancer #ucsd #oncology #prostatezero #zero