As my doctor was finishing my last physical, I mentioned to him that I had to get up two or three times in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. He said that it was nothing to worry about; it happens as men age.

But a few days later, he called me at home.

"Your PSA levels were high for the first time," he said.

I didn't know what he meant.

A few seconds passed, and he said, "It's your prostate."

The PSA tests for the presence of an enzyme in the blood stream, a kind of marker produced by cancer cells in the prostate gland.

Medical professionals often say that men don't like talking about their health problems, even with their doctors. You can be sure that men don't enjoy talking about their prostates.

Prostate cancer is still the stuff of secretive conversations and lots of misinformation.

No one is eager to admit that they are being treated. Maybe it's because our manhood is on the table, so to speak.

I eventually got the news that I have prostate cancer. This week I will undergo surgery to have my prostate removed.

In 2008, more than 186,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 30,000 died from it.

But the public is still not that well informed about prostate cancer.

It's easy to dismiss prostate cancer because it can be very treatable. But that's if it's detected in its earliest stage.

The problem is that prostate cancer doesn't always present recognizable symptoms, so sometimes it gets detected after it has progressed.

Many men don't know that they should be having PSA tests or they fear the diagnosis because of problems associated with surgery or other available treatments.

PSA screenings are recommended when men turn 50, but if men in your family had prostate cancer, talk to your doctor because screenings should begin much earlier.

We know that men of color are more likely to develop prostate cancer, so they need to be particularly vigilant.

We also know that women are often responsible for family health issues. So ladies, urge your husbands, sons, brothers, and male friends to talk to their doctors about prostate health.

They will thank you for it.

Meanwhile, wish me luck.