Men Tur Nisht (One Does Not)
Title
Men Tur Nisht (One Does Not)
Identifier
MIR_TUR_NISHT
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"One does not talk about bodily functions, let alone write about them."
Date
2016-08-24
Coverage
2016
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Text
MEN TUR NISHT
(One Does Not)
One does not talk about bodily functions, let alone write about them. However, my concern about bodily functions has been taking up much of my time these days. It started a few years ago when my doctor observed that I have an enlarged prostate. I had no idea what a prostate was, and my first reaction was that if something was enlarged it might not necessarily be bad. I envisioned a big muscle, possibly a big penis. Sounded macho.
My doctor explained that the prostate was a gland that surrounded the urethra. So? He then pointed out that one of the reasons it might become enlarged is as a result of cancer of the prostate. Cells growing etc. Oh boy. But he assured me that they grow very slowly, most men have this problem, and they usually die before it gets serious. That was reassuring. Nevertheless, he sent me to a urologist who gave me a digital rectal examination which consists of his inserting his finger (after putting on a rubber glove) up my rectum and feeling the prostate. Yes, he concluded. I have an enlarged prostate. He said if I liked, he could perform a biopsy. I told him I would prefer that he didn’t. He said OK, and prescribed a pill call Finasteride which is supposed to shrink the prostate.
I went merrily on my way until about six months ago, when I realized I was having trouble urinating. I of course mentioned this to my doctor who also checked my prostate (more enlarged) and ordered a few tests, one of which confirmed that my PSA was getting up there. Time for another visit to a urologist.
(One Does Not)
One does not talk about bodily functions, let alone write about them. However, my concern about bodily functions has been taking up much of my time these days. It started a few years ago when my doctor observed that I have an enlarged prostate. I had no idea what a prostate was, and my first reaction was that if something was enlarged it might not necessarily be bad. I envisioned a big muscle, possibly a big penis. Sounded macho.
My doctor explained that the prostate was a gland that surrounded the urethra. So? He then pointed out that one of the reasons it might become enlarged is as a result of cancer of the prostate. Cells growing etc. Oh boy. But he assured me that they grow very slowly, most men have this problem, and they usually die before it gets serious. That was reassuring. Nevertheless, he sent me to a urologist who gave me a digital rectal examination which consists of his inserting his finger (after putting on a rubber glove) up my rectum and feeling the prostate. Yes, he concluded. I have an enlarged prostate. He said if I liked, he could perform a biopsy. I told him I would prefer that he didn’t. He said OK, and prescribed a pill call Finasteride which is supposed to shrink the prostate.
I went merrily on my way until about six months ago, when I realized I was having trouble urinating. I of course mentioned this to my doctor who also checked my prostate (more enlarged) and ordered a few tests, one of which confirmed that my PSA was getting up there. Time for another visit to a urologist.
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Men Tur Nisht (One Does Not),” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed April 23, 2025, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/406.