Positive stories of testicular cancer needed!!!

[FredBassett]

Hi, DH had a phone call from his little brother (29) a couple of days ago - he has Testicular cancer. He was operated on this morning. Just really wanted some positive stories to show DH as he is beside himself with worry TIA

dh had it almost 5 years ago. had 3 weeks of radiotherapy afterwards, and has had 6 monthly checks since.

Scary to go through it, but honestly it's hugely treatable. Even if it recurrs they can usually zap it the next time too. I'm not medically minded, but it's a predicatble cancer that they can track. The survival rate is very high. If you've got to get cancer this is the one to get.

So sorry you're going through this. I do look back on it as a really tough time, radiotherapy made dh tired and sick, and we were very very anxious, but he wasn't really ill if you know what I mean.

Hope you're all OK and the op goes well.

I think this is something martianbishop's dh went through several years ago- he's recovered from it completely as far as I know. There was a jockey, too, Bob Campion(??) who made a complete recovery, and Lance Armstrong, of course. It's eminently curable if caught in time. I hope it's good news.

One of my DH's life long friends had testicular cancer when in his late teens. He went to the doctors in agony & after tests was diagnosed (think it was quite advanced from what H said) & had to have one of his testicals removed.
He later got the all clear & now is in his late 30's with two DS's (both conceived naturally) and has never had any further problems.
Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers there is - especially when caught early.

Hope your DH's brother makes a full & speedy recovery.

My brother has just been through this -- literally, he finished his last cycle of chemo on last Friday.

As I'm sure your BIL will have been told, testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates for any kind of cancer. It's v. v. rare for people not to survive. My brother's had spread to his lymph nodes, which is one notch worse than just the tumour, but the signs from hospital are all good, and there's no reason to assume any future probs, though obviously they monitor v. closely. Db and SIL were shattered when they got the diagnosis, but that was the worst moment -- after that the treatment kicks in and at least something is being done about it. And their emotional state has greadually got better as the weeks went past. They're now on a post-chemo holiday in the sun!

The chemo was horrid, obviously, but not appallingly so. Dbro lost his hair, but looks quite cool as a baldy. And the hair loss isn't permanent. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing to the hospital for blood tests, extra injections and scans, so your BIL shouldn't plan on getting anything much done over the next few months. But there's no reason to suppost he'll have anything but a positive outcome.

Good luck.

My friend had it as a teenager, had one removed and now has two children (one by accident)!.

sorry to hear about your brother frogs.

My former boss had it at age 31. Had treament, sorted, healthy ever since. Eight years on became a daddy and I think his wife is now expecting no. 2.

My husband had it at age 30. he is now 43 and still flys planes for the RAF. We have two nbeautiful children, both concieved naturaly after dh had the Op and Chemotherapy.

He has now been given the all clear (now has another unrelated cancer....a whole different story!)

He is 100% and everything is in working order.

It is the most treatable of all cancers

Our ds was also conceived naturally post-op and we're expecting number two.

Did have to bank sperm pre-op in anticipation of things getting worse which wasn't a pleasant experience, but that's another story...

Let us know how the op went FredBasset.

I am so shocked at how many of us have been affected in some way by it - I thought I would post this and not hear anything for a while, I certainly didn't expect this. I'll print them all off later and show DH - he literally went white when he was on the phone to BIL, we've always seen him as little bro.

I reminded DH of Bob Champion - I remembered seeing the film about him, I'd forgotten about Lance Armstrong - He's definately an inspiration!

Fred, so sorry to hear this.
Was also going to mention Lance Armstrong. My dad has lung cancer and is currently reading Lance Armstrong's autobiography, which is says is very inspiring.
As other people have said, testicular cancer is one of the most (if not the most) treatable of cancers especially if caught early. So he has a really, really good chance of a full recovery.

My husband had it in his early twenties. He is now forty :) Due to the treatment dh was given he was not expected to have children but we have our darling ds (5) :) :)
As others have said the survival rate is very high. Thinking of you all. It is a horrible time and such quick diagnosis to treatment a terrible shock in itself. Best wishes to your BIL

My BIL had it about 7 years ago. He's fine now although he had to have a tesicle removed completely. Its made no difference to his sex life though and so far he's had no recurrencec (touch wood)

I know it makes you feel sick - the word cancer is so devastating sometimes its hard to see beyond it. There is however lots of hope especially if its caught early.

I wanted to run away when we got the diagnosis, but where can you run? I felt sick with worry.

But dh is totaly fine. Our sex life went back to normal before he had his stitches out!

Peak time to get it is age 30. One in 900 men will get it in their life time. It is the most common form of cancer affecting young men. Very treatable. At stage one it is an almost 100% survival rate.

Hello. My friends DH had it at 24. He had treatment, (lump removal and radiotherapy) and he became a daddy again to a little boy last summer :)

((((hugs)))

my good friend had this about ten years ago in his twenties. He had radiotherapy, and a testicle removed.

For the last two years he has his wife had been trying to concieve and I've recently heard that after giving up on the fertility drugs it has happened naturally.

DH just read through these and just wanted to say thanks for the positive stories, we still haven't heard from BIL, his girlfriend rang to say the op went well and hopefully he will go home today but the consultant hadn't been to see him at that point so we don't know much else.

FB, just as a side issue your dh should keep a close eye (as it were) on his own testicles

All men should check their balls regularly, few do, and it is even more important uf you have TC in the family (this is not to worry you btw. the risks, if any, to your dh are minimal, but he should check himself regularly)

Luckily I am a total hypochondriac and after seeing Dr Chris doing an examination on This Morning ages ago I check DH regularly. I will definately make my sons aware when they are old enough too! Great to hear of all these post op babies - I want to be an Auntie one day!!

One of my friends was diagnosed in his early twenties. I think he had radiotherapy, but is certainly as right as rain today.

I sympathise, my brother recently had a scare, which was bad enough, but on top of that it came out of a medical to assess fitness to adopt his ds (the natural brother of the dd they had already adopted). For a while it looked as if it might prevent the adoption from going ahead, as initial tests were inconclusive.

Fortunately Social Services took a sensible view of the matter and let the adoption proceed, and a couple of months later, he got the all clear.

All the best for your BIL, hope he will be fine.

They asked dh to give some sperm samples prior to his chemotherapy (most men are treated with radiotherapy but dh's tumour had lots of blood vessels going through it, so they decided of chemo as the best option post op). He gave them, but we never needed them dd took us 3 months and ds about 12 months (and I have also had fertility probs!)

That's quicker than it took us with no fertility problems for both of ours!

Gosh FB, it's funny you mention This Morning as it was exactly that (5 years ago) that made dh get a grip and go to the doc.

We never even watch TM!!

Always thought I should write and say thanks!

In the Scottish secondary school I taught in until recently, they made all senior classes (mixed) watch an excellent video on the subject called "Know your Balls" or similar.

Yes, v. important to check. Dbro only found his lump because he heard that one of his friends had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and thought he should maybe check himself too.

Checking particularly important if the man ever had an undescended testicle as a child, as this greatly increases the risk of getting TC.

This is what happened to dh frogs. He has undecended testicles as a child and as a result checjked himeself reguraly. His cancer was caught at stage 1.

It doubles your risk to 1 in 450