A Shout Out to the Caregivers: You Are Doing a Good Freaking Job
Sadly, there is no manual or guidebook for when your husband receives a testicular cancer diagnosis. Did you even know what testicular cancer was? Did you know that it preys on men ages 15-34 years old? Your world is suddenly flipped upside down and there is not a darn thing you can do about it. […]
Another Life Change
Jeff was over a year cancer-free. The poking and prodding of tests went down to every other month. He didn’t need to see his surgeon regularly anymore. We had gotten used to our new normal. Then, our lives changed again. Jeff had the opportunity to take a post in Nairobi, Kenya. It would be a […]
Adjusting to the New Normal
Jeff was out of the woods and we were going to back to normal life…sort of. Things were good and getting better and better. We were both the same people we were before cancer entered our lives. Yet, everything was different. The stress of the last few months, my temporary nocturnal working life, and my […]
The Recovery Period
I did my best to prepare for Jeff’s recovery. The biggest concern I had was food. Jeff was going to be on a very restrictive diet for the first two weeks. He was limited to a vegetarian, minimal fat diet (maximum of five grams of fat per day). How in the world was I going […]
The Surgery
In the weeks and days leading up to the surgery, Jeff had a lot of prep work to do. There were more tests and lot of insurance matters to settle. He also had to set up medical leave from his job, which I am happy to say was quite generous. Meanwhile I did my own […]
Deciding On A Course Of Treatment
Jeff’s diagnosis of Stage 1 testicular cancer came in early June of 2013. We spent the next few weeks frantically researching and speaking to doctors. Thankfully, we lived very close to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, number two at the time in the entire nation for testicular cancer treatment and world-renowned. We had the best […]
The Initial Diagnosis
Cancer came into our lives out the blue. There were no signs. There were no symptoms. We discovered it out of pure dumb luck. My husband, Jeff, went to an urologist for a vasectomy. He had the usual exam. The doctor felt a lump. He didn’t think anything of it but suggested an ultrasound just […]
A Letter from Erica Bergman, Wife of a TC Survivor
April is Testicular Cancer Month and we wanted to share with you a story from a wife reflecting back on her husband’s testicular cancer experience. My husband and I were in our first year of marriage, adjusting to married life: who does the dishes, takes out the trash, walks the dog, how to blend families […]
