CHAT TRANSCRIPT: Talking About Jerry's Journey

11Alive's Jerry Carnes was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. On Thursday night, Jerry and Dr. Nikhil Shah of St. Joseph's Hospital were in a live chat answering your questions about Jerry's cancer and his upcoming surgery.

After 26 years in the news business, I thought I'd reported on just about everything. There have been numerous hurricanes and tornadoes, triumphs and sorrows created by war, grieving and celebration.

I've had the privilege of meeting two U.S. presidents, dozens of professional athletes, famous actors, and a mass murderer. I watched as a man was put to death in Georgia's electric chair, and witnessed a woman rescued from a fiery plane crash as she was wheeled out of a hospital to be reunited with her family.

There have been so many extreme highs and so many painful lows.

Today, I venture into unchartered territory.

In my own words, I will explain how cancer entered my life, and how it has changed me. It provides me with an opportunity to explain how I've spent the past couple of months living with this disease, and how it has created a new quest to make sure others are aware of the risks of the illness that has entered my life.

Dealing with prostate cancer has opened my eyes to an illness many men want to ignore. I'm trying to pry open other eyes so they'll see what I've seen.

It's not easy to shoot and write a news story about yourself, especially when the goal is to keep the focus off of me, and keep it on prostate cancer and the measures others can take to protect themselves. My effort was not to portray myself as a victim; I'm not.

Actually, I consider myself blessed to be endowed with a dark situation that has a very bright side-enlightening others.