Testicular cancer survivor: Renewed perspective helped me heal

I was blindsided by my stage I testicular cancer diagnosis at age 42. It was the fall of 2020, and I had just moved to a new city, started a new career and, along with everyone else, was dealing with the day-to-day challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once I digested the news, my fiancée and I determined that going to MD Anderson was the obvious choice. Although I had never dealt with cancer, it didn’t take much digging to uncover MD Anderson’s No. 1 reputation in the field.

My testicular cancer treatment

Matthew Campbell, M.D., oversaw my treatment, which included an orchiectomy performed by Jose Karam, M.D., in November 2020. Dr. Campbell, along with the rest of my MD Anderson team, provided exceptional care. Not only did they heal my body, but they shepherded me through the mental challenges of dealing with cancer.

After weighing additional options after I’d recovered from surgery, Dr. Campbell, Dr. Karam and I decided active surveillance would be safer and more beneficial than chemotherapy or radiation therapy. I got the all-clear about a year later and am now celebrating more than two years cancer-free.

Testicular cancer gave me a new perspective

Before my testicular cancer diagnosis, I spent much of my time building, growing and chasing. But after my recovery, my focus shifted from the pursuit of happiness to finding happiness in the pursuit. Cancer gave me an opportunity to reflect on who I want to be and how I want to approach life.

I don't know if the cancer will appear again, but I know this: I've shifted my focus from survival to a thriving mindset. Now, I’m in the giveback stage – and let me tell you, that’s where the really good stuff is. The giveback stage is where you get to make an impact on other people's lives. You get to apply the lessons you've learned.

Gratitude turned to motivation

As I approached two years cancer-free, I returned to endurance training to improve my health. I was starting to feel better than I had in a while. It had been 10 years since I participated in a half-IRONMAN triathlon, but I wanted to participate in one again. I found an IRONMAN 70.3 event in Jones Beach, New York. It felt like kismet since the race was happening around the time of my two-year anniversary and was the closest IRONMAN 70.3 race to the town where I grew up.

But just doing the race didn’t seem like enough. I reached out to Dr. Campbell and told him I wanted to raise funds to support others dealing with cancer, but that I had no idea where to start. He put me in touch with MD Anderson’s Philanthropy team, and they set me up with a personal fundraising page. They explained that 100% of the funds raised would support Dr. Campbell’s testicular cancer research and directly help others.

Once I started fundraising, I decided to share my story more publicly via email and social media. My friends and family responded with an outpouring of financial and emotional encouragement, and my colleagues, former colleagues and distant friends did the same.

 Sharing my journey also gave others permission to be open about theirs. Others reached out with stories of how cancer had touched them or their loved ones. I heard stories of perseverance, challenges and loss. They made me even more grateful for where I was, the gifts that had been bestowed upon me and the new perspective I had gained. 

The night before the race, a friend reminded me that these stories would push me forward. He told me not to focus on my race time, but rather on showing up for those people in a way that honored their trust in me. I carried that motivation with me.

Persevering with purpose

On race day, Tropical Storm Ophelia hit the East Coast. It was raining sideways with temperatures in the low 50s. And if that didn’t present enough of a challenge, I broke my right clavicle in a bike accident around mile 20!

I told myself that while I might not finish the race, I could finish the next mile, then the next. As I carried on, the pain I felt was overshadowed by one thought — I had gotten exactly what I asked the universe for. To me, there was no better way to honor all those who’d supported me than by persevering through adversity.

All those who shared their stories gave me such a purpose. They made my decision to continue the race easy, despite the physical pain.

Crossing that finish line was a very emotional experience. At some point, we are all going to be tested. Some of us put ourselves in a position where we are asking to be tested, and some of us have no control over when those moments arise. All we really can control is how we are going to show up.

In those moments when you feel the world is against you and everything may seem to be working against you, try to remember that you do have a choice, even if it’s just to see things through a different lens. When you allow yourself to do so and couple it with a purpose bigger than yourself, you might accomplish something you didn’t think was possible. 

Gratitude for those who got me here

None of this would have been possible without the support, guidance and love of my fiancée, Charlotte. She was there for me during the darkest days of my diagnosis and showered me with love and support during times of triumph.

Thanks to the incredible support from my family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers, we raised more than $160,000 for Dr. Campbell’s testicular cancer research. I wasn't expecting to raise this much, but I am so grateful that, together, we can help make someone else’s journey a little bit easier. 

Learn how to start a fundraiser for MD Anderson.