Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Purpose of This Blog
I am hoping to use this blog as a launch pad for this organization. My ultimate goal is to raise funds significant enough to support cancer research, create awareness programs for other young men, and offer educational, emotional and financial support to those going through testicular cancer. I hope you will post comments, and become involved in this process. If you have questions, please feel free to post them. I plan to use this blog to address common issues and topics with testicular cancer. I hope to open up the dialogue about this disease and make people more comfortable talking about it and dealing with it! Let me know what you think!
My Story
Below is my background story and experience with Testicular Cancer:
Almost five years ago I was diagnosed with testicular cancer two weeks to the date after the birth of our first daughter, Macaila. I had a surgery to remove the tumor and then went out to Indianapolis to have a lymph node dissection by Dr. Foster at Indiana University. I have a pretty scar to show for my painful surgery. After a few months off work and lots of staples, I was declared cancer free and stayed that way for three years. In the meantime, we moved to South Carolina and had another little girl who is now three.
I had an oncology check up in June of 2007 and was declared healthy for the third year. The following September, I learned that my company, Countrywide, would be closing its office in Greenville and I would be losing my job. Unfortunately and fortunately I injured my back two days after learning my company was closing. My injury became increasingly painful, so much so I ended up with my wife, Jill, in the ER in the middle of the night. They did a CT scan expecting to find a kidney stone and instead found a mass. They sent me home with some good pain meds and told me to go to my oncologist first thing Monday morning.
On Tuesday morning we were able to get in to see my doc. He immediately said, this is probably cancer. We made plans to anticipate what would come, and after CT scans showing no spread beyond the mass, and a biopsy to confirm it was malignant, I was scheduled to begin chemo treatments for nine weeks beginning Sept. 24th, 2007 through the end of November of 2007. It was three rounds of three weeks of chemo. The first week of each round being five days a week, 4-6 hours a day. The second and third week was Tuesdays only for a shorter treatment. The chemotherapy experience was long, exhausting and difficult. It was difficult for me, my wife and those who helped support us through it. I had difficulties with IVs, nausea, vomiting, headaches, dehydration, fatigue (that doesn't even begin to describe it), weight gain, joint pain among other things. Nonetheless, I came out on the other side, healthy and ready to get back in the game. I am a year and a half out from the end of my chemo now, and excited about my future with my family. I start a new job on June 1, which will hopefully be a great opportunity for us.
Almost five years ago I was diagnosed with testicular cancer two weeks to the date after the birth of our first daughter, Macaila. I had a surgery to remove the tumor and then went out to Indianapolis to have a lymph node dissection by Dr. Foster at Indiana University. I have a pretty scar to show for my painful surgery. After a few months off work and lots of staples, I was declared cancer free and stayed that way for three years. In the meantime, we moved to South Carolina and had another little girl who is now three.
I had an oncology check up in June of 2007 and was declared healthy for the third year. The following September, I learned that my company, Countrywide, would be closing its office in Greenville and I would be losing my job. Unfortunately and fortunately I injured my back two days after learning my company was closing. My injury became increasingly painful, so much so I ended up with my wife, Jill, in the ER in the middle of the night. They did a CT scan expecting to find a kidney stone and instead found a mass. They sent me home with some good pain meds and told me to go to my oncologist first thing Monday morning.
On Tuesday morning we were able to get in to see my doc. He immediately said, this is probably cancer. We made plans to anticipate what would come, and after CT scans showing no spread beyond the mass, and a biopsy to confirm it was malignant, I was scheduled to begin chemo treatments for nine weeks beginning Sept. 24th, 2007 through the end of November of 2007. It was three rounds of three weeks of chemo. The first week of each round being five days a week, 4-6 hours a day. The second and third week was Tuesdays only for a shorter treatment. The chemotherapy experience was long, exhausting and difficult. It was difficult for me, my wife and those who helped support us through it. I had difficulties with IVs, nausea, vomiting, headaches, dehydration, fatigue (that doesn't even begin to describe it), weight gain, joint pain among other things. Nonetheless, I came out on the other side, healthy and ready to get back in the game. I am a year and a half out from the end of my chemo now, and excited about my future with my family. I start a new job on June 1, which will hopefully be a great opportunity for us.
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