“I wanted to share my story to, frankly, save other men’s lives.  I discovered that very few knew anything about [prostate cancer].  Even less had had the PSA test.”

– Wayne Sticha, 64, Founder of Ride for Dads

Over the summer, we shared two interviews with PatientLikeMe members conducted by our partner Patient Power:  one with psoriasis patient Lissa and another with multiple sclerosis patient Marcia.  Today, against the backdrop of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we’re pleased to present the latest Patient Power video interview with member Wayne Sticha, a prostate cancer survivor from Lindstrom, Minnesota.

Check out Wayne’s interview to learn about his prostate cancer experience as well as how he was inspired to found Ride for Dads, an annual benefit and awareness motorcycle ride now in its third year.  What drives his passion for educating other men, who he says “tend to ignore the subtle signs of aging,” about prostate cancer?  And what are his aspirations for this growing event?  Hit “play” below to find out.

Wayne Sticha: Prostate Cancer Survivor Turned Advocate from Patient Power® on Vimeo.

Stay tuned for a post featuring one of Wayne’s photos from the 2012 Ride for Dads as well as the next installment of the Patient Power interview series.

“It’s only when you really get into the experience of being a patient with a life-changing illness, where you’re dealing with the uncertainty and the process, that you start to learn things.  You start to learn that the experience you’re going through – the pain you’re suffering, or maybe a side effect or something that worked – will never benefit anyone else because no one’s writing it down.” – Jamie Heywood

Recently we’ve shared two great interviews conducted by our partner Patient Power:  one with psoriasis patient Lissa and another with multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Marcia.

Today we’d like to share another interview conducted by the always thoughtful Andrew Schorr of Patient Power.  This one features PatientsLikeMe Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood, and it delves into some very interesting questions about the concept of personalized medicine.  Why are patients willing to share their data?  Can the Internet expedite clinical discovery?  What can patients contribute if they are considered full partners in the health care system?  Find out that and more in this insightful discussion.

“The benefit of sharing on PatientsLikeMe is the support.  For me, it doesn’t matter what I’m going through, there are people there that understand.  They’re not judgmental.  They get it.  They’re there too.  I get lots of emotional moral support.”

– Multiple Sclerosis Patient Marcia

Back in June, we shared with you a video interview with PatientsLikeMe member Lissa that was conducted by our partner Patient Power.  Today, we’re pleased to present a second Patient Power interview with another member, Marcia Hirst.  A wife and mother of 11 children, Marcia, 52, has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) since she was a young girl – although she didn’t know it at the time.

Check out her moving interview below to find out about the lifelong adjustments she’s made due to MS and learn why “the puzzle pieces are coming together” now that she’s discovered a community of 28,000+ MS patients at PatientsLikeMe.

Marcia Hirst: Don’t Let Multiple Sclerosis Take The Joy Out of Your Life from Patient Power® on Vimeo.

Enjoying these Patient Power interviews?  Stay tuned for others as the series continues.

“I don’t really know too many people around here with psoriasis.   It was hard to relate with somebody.  My family, my friends, my husband, they’re great support, but they can only see what I’m going through, they can’t go through it the way I do.  It’s really important to be able to connect with people who truly understand what you’re going through.”

– Psoriasis Patient Lissa

In March, we introduced you to Lissa, a psoriasis patient who had recently started blogging about life with this chronic skin condition.  At that time, she had begun UVB photo therapy treatment for her psoriasis.

Now, several months later, you can see how Lissa is doing after completing her 51st UVB photo therapy session – and how PatientsLikeMe continues to play a role in her wellbeing – in a Skype video interview with our partner Patient Power, a site dedicated to connecting you with the experts on your condition.  That means doctors and patients.

Lissa Conger: Managing Psoriasis and Harnessing the Power of Patient Communities from Patient Power® on Vimeo.

Check out Lissa’s engaging interview with Patient Power founder Andrew Shorr, a leukemia survivor, above.  And stay tuned for more Patient Power videos featuring PatientsLikeMe members – including patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer.

How do you define a disruptive hero?  Here is Hacking Work’s three-pronged filter:

• Disruptive because they are proving conventional wisdom wrong.
• Heroes because they are changing the rules of the game, for the better.
• Great because they helped to change us all for the better.

Given these demanding criteria, we are pleased to announce that Hacking Work has recognized PatientsLikeMe Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood for disrupting the accepted rules of the medical world.  How did his upbringing encourage him to ask questions?  Why does he believe it’s possible to both challenge and respect the healthcare system at the same time?

Find out that and much more in this thought-provoking interview: