When I was a senior in high school, I noticed that my right testicle had swollen and had become hard. I did not tell my mother (the only parent in the house) because I was embarrassed. However, it did not take long for me to tell her, as it was becoming more and more uncomfortable every day.
My mother immediately made me an appointment with a urologist (the next day). The day after that I was in the hospital having my testicle removed. The results came back and I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The urologist believed that he had removed all the cancer but advised the next step would be the removal of the lymph nodes in that area because that was where the cancer would spread. He told my mother and me about another patient of his who had this and was successfully treated at Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo NY (which was a long way from Florida where we lived).
I went to Roswell and testing led the doctors to believe the cancer had spread. So I was started off with a 6 week course of chemotherapy followed by surgery and finished up with another 6 week course of more chemotherapy. Two years later during a check-up a spot was discovered in my lung which led to another surgery to remove the spot.
That was over 30 years ago. I just want to let you know there is hope for a long and successful life after a diagnosis of this nature. I have been happily married for over 20 years. My wife and I adopted 3 children (I am unable to have children on my own as a result of the cancer), and I have had a career in the fire service for over 23 years.
I just want to encourage those that have something going on with their body or something just is not right—have it checked out.
Symptoms
- right testicle swollen and hard
- grew in size
