Seen, and cannot be Unseen, and heard to the market.

So, yesterday, and FAIR WARNING - this post contains a serious medical condition and suggestion, we are headed over to E****'s, our local market, when I swing the new car over to the furthest part of the parking lot, which is also the least likely place for it to get dinged up, we spot a couple, in the 70's by their car.  The man whips open his belt, pulls out his shirt tail, and sticks his hand up there and starts feeling himself.

Now, these are well to do people who look like they have been out on the golf course, or are dressed for something fairly nice and summery.

We park, and as wel open the door we hear the following because he is almost yelling it:

"Jesus my nipples really hurt, they're so sensitive!"

Alright, then.  This is not an everyday thing that you see or hear at this market.  It's somewhat a well healed place.  Depravity or this type of activity is not something that they stock and it certainly isn't anything common.  In fact, it made Cookie very uncomfortable.

Head down, past them we go because if we want to go into the market, we have to pass them.  As we pass and get a couple feet beyond them, the man, again begins to bellow "How do you girls live with tits that are this sensitive!?"

We continue walking, faster pace, and go into the market.  As we tool up and down the ailes, we see this guy, walking about with his belt undone.

We exist, we go home.  Still shocked.

This morning I get up, and there is a message from an elementary school friend.  He is being treated for recurrent male breast cancer, which is something that men can get, and do get.  And it can be as lethal in men as it is for women.   And my friend is not doing well on this second go round.

And then it dawned on me that unless the guy in the parking lot had one hell of sunburn, one of the early warning signs of breast cancer in men are painful nipples, and a discharge of what looks like breast milk from the nipple.

Now my friend found a lump while taking a shower.  He was a runner, lean build.  He's been married to his wife forever and they have two daughters.  It was a fluke that he found it.

So here is the thing.  Men can get this, and it is just as devastating a disease.  Men are also more prone to developing breast cancer if they have a condition called Gynecomastia that arose during puberty, or have the BRCA2 gene.  This is the gene that also makes men candidates for prostate cancer.

So this is just not a girl thing, OK?

And here is part of the problem in getting is disease treated - men are less likely to check than woman for lumps because most men don't know that they can develop breast cancer.  We get freaked out by the "breast" word when applying it to guys.

You need to get over that, now.

It's word, period, and words cannot kill you.

But cancer is a disease that can kill you.

Had I been thinking, I should have walked up to the guy and said, "excuse me, I heard you in the parking lot and I have to encourage you to talk to your doctor about this."  It wasn't like I was listening in to a whispered conversation.  This guy was BELLOWING about his nipples.  But yeah, he should see his doctor and he probably won't.

You, my readers, on the hand, can do something about this.  When you shower men, after you check your nads for anything off, check the tissue in your chests.  Call it a breast or a pec, but check it.

You shouldn't have to go through what my friend in Cleveland is going through.  But if you find something, TELL THE FREAKING DOCTOR, NOW.

I love you all to death, but this is something that is unlikely but possible.  Do the right thing.  Take care of yourselves.

As for the guy in the parking lot, I really am hoping that he'll see a doctor.