December 20, 2001

Peter's Near Miss

It all started back in December of 1999. I found a hard BB size bump on the front of my left testicle. I was 17, and I did what a lot of people my age do when they find something like that. Say Nothing. At first I didn't think that it was anything, but then I thought of TC. I realized that I fit all of the descriptions listed on this site, so that summer I decided to email Doug Bank and ask him a few questions. He quickly replied and told me to get it checked out.

I was still afraid to tell my parents so I still didn't get it checked out. Doug even took the time to email me to check up on me, but no, I still hadn't gotten it checked out. I was sure I had cancer, it was driving me crazy, but for some reason I still couldn't tell my parents.

In my head I was thinking, well if I tell my parents and we find out I have cancer everything's going to change. So I decided well I will hold off on it for as long as possible...which obviously is the worst possible thing you can do. I knew that, but my hope that it wasn't cancer kept me from saying anything. I actually went through periods where I would think, what's it matter how I do in school, I'm probably going to be dead from cancer in a few years.

In May 2001 (One year after I emailed Doug Bank and he told me to get it checked) I had a check up with my doctor, he started talking to me about how I should check my testicles for bumps, I told him I had one. He checked it out and said that he felt what I was talking about. He assured me that most of the time these types of things are nothing but I should have it checked out.

I still didn't want my parents to know, and it actually ended up that my appointment would be while they were scheduled to be away on vacation. I didn't want to wreck their week and tell them I was going to see if I had cancer, so I didn't say anything and made the trip to the hospital alone.

About 2 weeks later I went into the hospital to have an ultra sound done. I was lying there on the table, almost positive the doctor would tell me exactly what I didn't want to hear. But, the words that came out of his mouth were the words I was waiting for for 2 years... He said that what I had was a brill, which basically is a build up of calcium. He said he had seen them a few times before, and it was nothing to be alarmed about. I never got a second opinion so I'm hoping he knows what he's talking about but, that's it.

All that worrying could of been over 2 years earlier if I had just decided to say something. If it had been TC then I am pretty sure I would of been in major trouble. So anyone out there, especially if you're young, don't be afraid to say something. I know telling your dad or mom about bumps on your junk is embarrassing but it could really save your life, and save your family a lot of pain.


Back to the personal stories page: Take me to the Testicular Cancer Resource Center Personal Stories Page!
 
This page was last updated on Mar 29, 2018
Copyright © 2001 - 2018 Testicular Cancer Resource Center and the Author, All Rights Reserved