Health Conversations Between Black Men
- Shawn Kennedy
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 29
"I pray that by sharing my health journey, I can be ‘that person’ for someone else in their time of need. It can make a world of difference!"
When Black men come together and health issues enter into the conversation, you may be surprised by what might be revealed. I had that experience in April 2023, when I was reunited with a friend and former colleague I had not spoken to in over 20 years. During that first conversation with Gerald Meachum, he shared his prostate cancer journey with me, unprompted and without knowing I had an elevated PSA level myself at that time. I listened attentively as Meachum described his elevated PSA level, prostate biopsy, low-dose radiation treatments, hormone therapy and side effects. I was actually captivated by the calm demeanor in which Meachum spoke. Wow, this was a Godsend! All of my personal research on prostate cancer just received a huge supplement from another person’s real life experience.
So I shared my concern regarding my elevated PSA level, upcoming scheduled MRI of my pelvic, and possible prostate biopsy. Meachum’s willingness to share his health journey with me provided me with the personal insight that I needed to calm my anxiety of the unknown. It helped to keep me grounded, focused and reassured. Because of our conversations, I was comfortable and more at ease during my later prostate biopsy, which did reveal early stage prostate cancer and led to me deciding on an active surveillance plan for one year.
I repeated the same tests in 2024. When a second biopsy revealed an additional prostate sample was cancerous, I decided on a treatment plan involving 20 low-dose radiation treatments along with six months of hormone therapy. My many conversations with Meachum were instrumental in me deciding a treatment plan for myself. Having that confidant to bounce things off of significantly reduced my fears of the unknown and gave me the confidence to approach my health journey well informed and with my head held high. I thank God for Meachum, and for us crossing paths again when we did. I pray that by sharing my health journey, I can be ‘that person’ for someone else in their time of need. It can make a world of difference!
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