Fellow drummers...  It has been awhile since I have stopped in.  I figure this topic should go here.  I was diagnosed with testicular cancer 3 months ago.  I have had surgery to remove the "bad nut" and so far it looks like I might be cured.

I want to spread some awareness on this topic because It is rare and not talked about much.  CHECK YOURSELF!!  Seriously right now....   Look for lumps, hardness anything out of the norm.  If you think you might find something that is not normal get it checked out.  TC has a 90% cure rate if diagnosed early.  Some of the first signs can be nipple soreness/breast tenderness (due to hormonal cancer cells and not from your girlfriend/wife pinching your nipples), heaviness in the abdomen/groan area and lumps hardness in the testicle.

Anyway just wanted to give this public service announcement..

C

Good post, thank you!  Glad you are ok!

 
Many thanks for sharing this and calling our attention to taking care of ourselves; your message has really touched me.
The surgery must have been a suffer, but it's good that you're OK now.
 

This is how I noticed something happening.  I also had the breast tenderness and the nipple pains, but didn't think much of it.  I even had that checked out in the clinic, but they told me it was nothing....  2 months later I noticed a change in the right boy..  Not a good feeling.  Plus if the clinic would have known what to look for they could have caught it.  Goes to show not even doctors really know what symptoms to look for with TC.

glad they spotted it in time. my former 'drum roadie' had it when he was rather young--i think 25 or so--and he got it removed and has had no problems since [which is saying a lot for a dude who didn't take great care of himself overall].

i think men are ridiculously bad about taking care of their health--or at least, getting regular check-ups and stuff. anyone catch that documentary on charles schulz, creator of the peanuts? he was terrified of getting cancer, so he refused to get check-ups. then he died of cancer. 

good on ya for being proactive and smart. here's to a full recovery! [cue the 'clinking mugs' emoticon]

Cheers Physast!

I'm a fellow TC survivor.  I celebrated my 5 year mark last March which was the date my treatment ended.  I had the offensive bugger removed 9/11/01.  It was non-seminoma and my situation called for surveillance due to slightly elevated tumour markers.  As it turned out it did spread a little and they put me through chemo.  Obviously, it worked!

Keep with your surveillance schedule and you'll be fine! 

Very excellent of you to share the story and the message.

I must admit the message is good to smack a person like - me.

I don't take care of myself nearly as well as I should, and while I'm at the doctor occasionally, I avoid certain exams like the plague.  I need to get over that.

Glad to hear all is now well.

Thanks for sharing your story. Ive always been afraid of a check-up and the look of concern on the doctors face when he says the C word to me. Doctors honestly scare me not only because of a scary diagnosis but a scary MISdiagnosis. When im in the shower im constantly looking for any weird signs, lumps, odd pains, discoloration, etc etc. If i swallow! and feel something weird ill freak for a minute and realize it was probably a stuck sunflower seed or whatever. My mother passed from a brain tumor 4 years ago and since then ive been thinking, ok, im next, how, when, and where. Plain and simple, a doctor visit scares me.

physast, ive had dear close friends pass from cancer, my mother passed, a very close friend has A.L.S., ive been trying to condition myself to be ready should the day come sooner than expected to be face to face with God Almighty. Thats the thing physast, none of us here is EVER going to die. Were leaving here for sure someday but were going to stand in front of God himself. THAT concerns me as much as leaving this state of consciousness.