I want to be specific about what type of cancer I had so that other men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer do not feel the same kind of embarrassment that I did at the time.
When I first was diagnosed with testicular cancer, I had just turned 35 and my wife had just gotten pregnant. I couldn't help but think of the worst case scenerio: what if I'm not alive for the birth of my daughter. Now that she's nine months old, my next goal is to be alive long enough that she remembers who I am.
When I noticed there was a lump, I waited a week to go see a doctor. While a week may not seem like a long time, I should have just gone right away. Maybe if I had gone in and gotten checked out earlier, the cancer wouldn't have spread into my lymph node. Or maybe not.
Never let something like your work life postpone getting health treatments. Looking back, that's very clear to me now, but at the time it wasn't.
We've been a band for about 15 years so we're like a family. As soon as I knew I had to have surgery, we realized we had to cancel shows. We've never cancelled shows, but they didn't care. They knew that I had to get the surgery done as quickly as possible.
It makes me appreciate not only that I get to be a musician, but that I get to be in a band that I love with guys that are my best friends.
There's sort of a perception that men have to work really hard to provide for their family. It made me think of doing things like putting my work life in front of getting my personal health taken care of.
Health comes first. Not just my physical health, but my mental health as well. If I'm not healthy, I'm not going to enjoy my work, I'm not going to enjoy my family, I'm not going to join my life. It's just very important to make sure that health is a top priority.
Sam finished radiation treatment in October, 2018 and is in remission today. Men, know the facts and take action early.
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