Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Never Judge a Book...

There's a new book out called Assume the Position by Richard Bercuson, but it has nothing to do with our favourite activity.


It's a self-published autobiographical account of one man's fight againt prostate cancer. This is a serious subject, to be sure, but the author handles it with a great deal of humour and sensitivity. That's the reason I feel comfortable presenting an excerpt here.



The 'position' he is asked to assume is one which allows his doctor easy access to his prostate. His description of his first biopsy could definitely be translated into a spanking situation if you read it out of context:



"Pretend you lie on your side on a hockey rink in the fetal position ... You are not wearing underwear, nor an athletic supporter or cup. Not far away, and facing your posterior, a doctor with a better-than-average slapshot lines up 10 pucks ... then he fires away.

"Each shot strikes you with stomach-thundering discomfort ... You sense your testicles will disintegrate and your stomach contents will explode through your throat."

The review I read included other humourous excerts but this was the only one that was vaguely spankingesque.


While entertaining his readers, Mr. Bercuson also succeeds in educating and informing them about the most common form of cancer found in Canadian men.


He sure picked an eye-catching title.



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its a tough thing to find humor about any sort of cancer, let alone that kind. Rather demoralizing for a man...Its very impressive that he wrote such an insightful, amusing book. Thanks for sharing it!

Paul said...

Hermione, it's a very common sort of cancer for any man in the developed world.
I have a troublesome prostate, so twice a year I am required to "assume the position", not a command a Dom hears often, it's not exactly the most comfortable of medical examinations.
So far I'm free, but I'm not too worried as it generally takes about thirty years for prostrate cancer to kill, I doubt I have that left.
Warm hugs,
Paul.

Hermione said...

The last time Ron went for that examination, he told me afterward he thought the doctor should have at least kissed him first!

Hugs,
Hermione

Michael said...

Or bought Ron dinner first, Hermione. Very serious subject but one all men must be aware of. Hope his book encourages all men to 'Assume the Position' not only for themselves but for their loved ones.

Michael

Hermione said...

Yes, it's a serious subject. And there is a blood test that can be done, which isn't as, er, intimate a procedure.

Hermione