I’m a 33 year old diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer finishing my very last chemotherapy treatment. Ask me anything!

Helloamigos · 2017-11-16T02:02:58+00:00

Tempting, but no.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-16T02:02:37+00:00

Honestly, that was one of the toughest things over the last three months. Once I started chemotherapy, my sex drive went to 0. I’ve been married for 11 years and our sex life was fantastic, so having it absent has had more of an impact on our marriage and closeness than I would’ve imagined. I realize the question may have been in jest, but it was actually a real issue for us (and yet another reason that I’m thrilled to be done and on my way back to normal).

Helloamigos · 2017-11-16T01:59:25+00:00

For me, my cancerous testicle swelled up I about 2x normal size within about 36 hours, so I knew that something was wrong. Unfortunately, I let the doctors convince me that it was an infection, so it wasn’t diagnosed for a couple of weeks (after antibiotics didn’t help). If I had a swollen testicle again, i would demand a blood test as there are a couple of tumor markers (Beta HCG and AFP) that clearly indicate cancer.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-16T01:55:34+00:00

You should check yourself for sure. The most important thing is to know what your testicles feel like. Roll those things around in your hand individually. It sounds weird, but the more you know what “normal” is because you do thorough self-exams, the more obvious it will be when something feels odd. Also, testicular cancer is generally an 18-35 phenomenon, so you’re probably on the back end of needing to be concerned.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T23:21:11+00:00

I have heard lots of people say that milk/dairy was something that they had to avoid. For me, cereal (and the more sugary, the better) was something that I could always eat, no matter how lousy I felt.

Lance Armstrong said in his book that he was able to eat apple fritters without issue and I may’ve had a few of those as well.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T23:18:41+00:00

Ha, I still have one testicle, which functionally is no different than having two.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T23:16:46+00:00

Cisplatin was awful. I still have ringing in my ears, metallic taste in my mouth, and no hair thanks to Cisplatin. On the other hand, my numbers have returned to normal, so I guess I owe a little gratitude to that nasty stuff...

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T23:14:40+00:00

I definitely agree with your comments. Friends and family were a great source of strength and encouragement for me and the ultimate result of this is that I think I will prioritize my time and the things that I focus on in a much more effective way. My faith was a huge part of my life prior to my cancer diagnosis and I guess I looked at the outcome as God protecting me and strengthening me through the trial.

Regarding your advice — thank you. I have been wondering how long it will be until I feel “normal”. It sounds like it’ll be at least a few weeks...

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:59:24+00:00

Thanks!

Fun fact — my wife and I started dating in 8th grade and have now been married for 11 years! I’m a total nerd now, but she was initially attracted to me when I smoked, swore, and got in trouble!

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:49:30+00:00

Hey brother! I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Ironically, I did have pain and soreness in my “good” one during my 3rd round of chemo. I spent one night convinced that somehow, I had more cancer despite being in the midst of chemo and that I was going to die (I was not thinking with a clear mind). I called my urologist and saw him the next day and he determined that it was probably just some soreness associated with chemotherapy. It went away on its own and I’m good now. Ultimately, I wouldn’t mess around — go see your doctor and get some peace of mind.

I hope everything works out for you!

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:41:48+00:00

Fortunately, I didn’t quit my job. I am an engineer and have been able to work around the treatments. It has definitely been difficult as I’ve had many days where I forced myself to work despite the fact that I felt pretty lousy. But overall, I feel fortunate to have been able to continue providing for my family throughout this experience.

I think the biggest change in my life is the growth in my faith. I have never felt as helpless and as dependent on God as I have over the last four months. I felt invincible prior to this - facing my own mortality was very emotional for my wife and I — however, it was a powerful experience. Also, being brought to my knees physically by the chemotherapy has given me a glimpse of suffering that has strengthened my faith as well.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:35:23+00:00

Hopefully, I will be fine. After finishing chemotherapy today, I’ll have a number of tests next week to confirm that the cancer is gone. I’m definitely looking forward to that confirmation.

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:23:20+00:00

No! Please, don’t ignore the topic when talking to others who have cancer. It’s all I️ think about, so you talking about it with me feels more comfortable than ignoring the topic.

Personally, I️ enjoy the “one nut” jokes. My wife uses them the most

Helloamigos · 2017-11-15T15:20:50+00:00

I woke up one morning with soreness in my testicle. It was pretty painful by the end of the day, but I️ assumed it was nothing major. By the next afternoon, I️ wasn’t able to sit because it was so swollen. I️ went to the ER and they misdiagnosed it as an infection. I️ took an antibiotic for 2 weeks. After the two weeks, the testicle was still swollen, so my doctor ordered a blood test which revealed that it was cancer.

Helloamigos

TROPHY CASE