Plainfield Woman Raises Awareness About Prostate Cancer. Join Lori O'Connor on September 10 at SEA Blue

“When it comes to prostate health, we women need to be vigilant for our men,” says Lori O’Connor of Plainfield, Ill. At age 48, Lori’s husband was blindsided by a prostate cancer diagnosis. It is undeniable that Lori’s persistence is the main reason the cancer was found. “This is my high school sweetheart; the love of my life. I’m the gatekeeper of health care for the two of us. I know prostate cancer affects one in seven men and has no symptoms until it’s advanced."

At a meeting with a primary care physician, Lori asked the doctor to cover all bases and “throw in a PSA test,” which is not normally done for a man under 50. Later, after a high PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level was discovered, a biopsy came back negative. “It didn’t make sense,” she said. “So I pushed for more tests.”

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin, male-specific cancer in the U.S. “My husband’s cancer was caught early. I want to help raise awareness, so others can get help early too,” she said. Lori’s search for information led her to Us TOO International, a nonprofit that provides educational resources and support to the prostate cancer community at no charge.

Lori became a volunteer for Us TOO and is currently working on promoting the13th-annual SEA Blue Chicago Prostate Cancer Walk & Run (www.seablueprostatewalk.org) co-presented by Us TOO and UroPartners. SEA Blue takes place Sunday, September 10, 2017, from 8 am to noon, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park (LaSalle and Stockton). The event celebrates those fighting prostate cancer, pays tribute to those who have been lost to the disease, and builds a foundation of support for those who may combat it in the future. Money raised helps fund the work of Us TOO International (www.ustoo.org).