Five years ago, in Feb. 2020, I was diagnosed with Stage 2B Testicular Cancer. The world was shut down due to the spread of COVID-19. I had to give up my apartment and my freedom and move back in with my parents while I underwent treatment. I felt like a failure as an adult. I had just recently put myself into a position to gain my independence. Now, I was being forced to take several steps back. My future was uncertain after this unexpected diagnosis and my employment furloughed.
I was diagnosed with a disease that is the leading cancer in men ages 15-44, yet self-checks weren’t something I knew to perform regularly. Thankfully, it has a 95% curability when detected early. After three rigorous rounds of chemotherapy, a seven-hour-long RPLND surgery, as well as multiple procedures, tests, and appointments, I finally heard the words I’d been waiting to hear.
“You’re in remission.”
While thankful to hear the words, I struggled with how I wanted to move forward. Cancer had consumed so much of my life up to that point. My only goal was to get through that day, not think about the next, and pray that the treatment the doctors performed would work. When it did, I didn’t want to think about doctors or hospitals again. I almost wanted to forget I ever had cancer. But that just wasn’t possible.
My body was different. I had a new “normal” I had to learn all over again. Discovering these changes, some that were still happening from the effects of the drugs administered to kill the cancer, made for several terrifying appointments in the months after. It seemed like everything could be a sign of a recurrence. My stress and anxiety remained and went through the roof at times. I realized that cancer and doctors weren’t something I’d be able to forget anytime soon. Monthly blood draws were tested. Routine CT scans were conducted. The chance of a recurrent was in the single digits, but not zero.
About a year after I went into remission, the blog I had started to keep my family and friends informed, Fight Like A Savage, saw a great increase in traffic from loved ones and other survivors currently going through journeys of their own. I’ll never forget one mother who reached out to me. Her son was recently diagnosed with TC. He was still in high school and fearful of the effects of chemo on his body. She thanked me for providing such a transparent look into my journey and asked several questions to help her talk with her son. I realized then that I was still on this Earth for a reason. I decided to do the opposite of forget. I wanted to raise awareness.
It was this mother who recommended I turn those blog posts into a book, and Diary of A Testicular Cancer Survivor was born. It was published in June 2021 and became an Amazon bestseller in its first week. While I felt my story was complete enough to publish at the time, it was also missing one thing: the “final” chapter.
I put the word final in quotes because only the Lord knows if I’m truly done dealing with this disease. But also because I’ve learned not to let cancer control my life despite speaking or posting frequently to raise awareness about the disease. I’ve reached the milestone of five years since I went into remission. I’m finally considered “cured” by the doctors. But my story isn’t over, and I still have so many more goals yet to achieve.
This month, Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, always surfaces emotions and feelings I often keep suppressed throughout much of the year. Not only as I speak on my experience to raise awareness but also as social media memories reappear. I’ve learned to look at these with less fearful eyes as times go on and more as testaments to how far I’ve come.
There was a time when I never knew if I’d be writing this chapter or another to finish my book… my story. Cancer gives you a new perspective on life. A perseverance you didn’t know you had. I channeled that into launching my marketing and advertising agency, Savage Creative Solutions, full-time. Into writing a science fiction book based on an idea I had going through treatment, Chemo Containment. Into growing my local, positive news site, Shreveport’s Secrets, into the full-fledged media platform I envisioned. Despite the challenges cancer posed to me, it’s giving me so much more in return.
A very small part of me is thankful for the diagnosis. It gave me everything I dreamed of, just on a path I never imagined I’d take. And for that I’m grateful.
I had my latest CT scan on April 17th. The results of the scan show that there are no signs of a recurrence, and I’m still in remission. I’m “cured.” I am a Testicular Cancer survivor.
I pray that my story reminds other men to conduct monthly self-checks. Know your body so you know when something is wrong. A self-check could have saved me from having to go through chemo or extensive surgery. As the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation says… an awkward conversation could save a life. Grab your balls, guys!
