For those of you that don't know, I was diagnosed just over 10 years ago with testicular cancer. Sure, I’m a tough guy, but when I heard the word “cancer”come out of that doctors mouth I nearly went deaf...my forehead hit my palms... like in a war movie when a grenade goes off, nothing but a deafening silence. I watched a tear of mine hit the floor and it seemed like a tsunami. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was asked by the doctor, do you want to tell your wife, or should I? I could barely even tell him that I wanted him to because I knew I didn’t stand a chance. What would happen in the next 6 years to come, is something I would’ve never imagined then. I went through my darkest days, a bit of a depression I guess you could call it. I thought of every little thing possible. Was I going to die? Was chemo and radiation the right choice for me? Could I still have children? What would my friends think, my family, work colleagues, most importantly my wife!! We didn’t have kids yet... what was she going to have to go through? But, with the love and support of the fore mentioned people, I was able to see that, this was nothing more than a speed bump in the road. I can now almost look at it as a blessing in disguise. I had to fight through the pain for a little while to get to where I am at today. A very happily married man, with a beautiful wife, daughter, awesome family, and incredible friends. Cancer can be a very scary thing and nobody knows what it can do to you, both physically and emotionally. It’s HARD, it’s SUCKS,but as a group, we can get through the scary times together. Nobody has to go through it alone. Im asking this year, that even if you can’t donate, to call a male friend that you may not have spoken to in a while and see how they are, do some catching up, and just lend an ear if they need it. Together we can make a difference,end the stigma, and change the face of men’s health.