So my appointment to see the results of my test has been moved to the Aug 20th.My pathology results were sent to a specialist in Indiana for a second opinion. Yet again more waiting. Trying to stay positive though.I am ready to take the next step, whatever it is and battle it full force.I wanna take back control of  my life. I was able to sneak out of the house for the first time to see my friends at Combat Fitness. It was a big  booster for me to see how much people care and are pulling for me to get better. I can feel your well wishes and prayers and I believe in them.

 I am not in much pain just a little sore still from the surgery. I had quite a scare the other night when I went to use the restroom. I looked down to see blood pooling in my private area. I thought my junk was gonna fall off. So I panicked and told my wife to call the on call doctor. Apparently it is normal to get bruising down there. It was just a shock as it has been like five days later and hadn't noticed anything like that before. Just got to take it one day at a time  guess.

When I was first diagnosed with testicular cancer I was upset with myself. How could I have let this happen to me. What did I do wrong? I was so sad, but I have learned that no one really knows what causes it. And studies are being conducted to find the cause. There are what the American Cancer Society calls risk factors, but just because you fall into any of these at risk categories doesn't mean you get it and just because you don't fall into any of the categories doesn't mean you can't get it. Crazy huh. Here are the risk factors.

Undescended testicle: One of the main risk factors for testicular cancer is a problem called cryptorchidism, or undescended testicle(s). Before birth, the testicles normally develop in the belly of the fetus and then move down (descend) into the scrotum before birth. But in about 3% of boys, the testicles do not move into the scrotum. Sometimes the testicle stays inside the belly. In other cases, the testicle starts to come down, but gets stuck in the groin.

Men who have had cryptorchidism are several times more likely to get testicular cancer than those who did not have the problem. The risk is higher for men with a testicle in the belly as opposed to one that has moved down at least part way. Among men with a history of this problem, most cancers start in the testicle that has not moved down. But about 1 out of 4 occurs in the normal testicle. Because of this, some doctors think that cryptorchidism is not the direct cause of testicular cancer. They believe that some other problem causes both the cancer risk and the cryptorchidism.

Most testicles will descend on their own in the child's first year. Sometimes surgery (called orchiopexy) is needed to bring the testicle down into the scrotum. Surgery done when a child is younger may be more likely to reduce the risk of testicular cancer than surgery done when the child is older, but the best time to do this surgery is not clear.

Family history: A family history of testicular cancer increases the risk. If a man has the disease, there is a higher risk that his brothers or sons may also get it. But very few cases of testicular cancer are actually found in families.

.HIV infection: There is some evidence that men infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have an increased risk of testicular cancer. This may be especially true for men who have AIDS. No other infections have been shown to increase testicular cancer risk.

CIS (carcinoma in situ): CIS is described in "What is testicular cancer?” It isn't clear how often CIS in the testicles becomes cancer. It is sometimes found when a man is tested for infertility. It may also be found when a man has a testicle removed because of cryptorchidism. Radiation or surgery (to remove the testicle) is used to treat CIS. Since we don’t know how often CIS becomes true (invasive) cancer, it isn’t clear that treating CIS is a good idea. Some experts think that it may be better to wait and see if the disease gets worse or becomes a true cancer. This could allow many men with CIS to avoid the risks and side effects of treatment.

Cancer of the other testicle: Men who have been cured of cancer in one testicle have an increased risk (about a 3% to 4% chance) of getting cancer in the other testicle.

Age: About half of testicular cancers occur in men between the ages of 20 and 34. But this cancer can affect males of any age, including infants and older men

Race and ethnicity: White American men are about 5 times more likely to get testicular cancer than are African-American men. Whites have more than 3 times the risk of Asian-American and American Indian men. The risk for Hispanics falls between that of Asians and non-Hispanic whites. The reason for these differences is not known.

Body size: Some studies have that the risk of testicular cancer is somewhat higher in tall men but other studies have not shown a link.

From the American cancer Society site
Last Medical Review: 05/16/2012
Last Revised: 05/16/2012


After reading this I know now that there is nothing  I could have done to prevent this from happening as the only risk factor I have was that my age was prime for testicular cancer.. Take Lance Armstrong for instance. He has to be one of the healthiest dudes on the planet and he got it. Now I don't feel so bad.