Ryan Jackson: A Two-Time Testicular Cancer Survivor’s Story
Ryan Jackson is a resilient individual who has faced the challenges of testicular cancer twice. Born and raised in Delbarton, WV, Ryan spent most of his life there before relocating to Knoxville, TN, in 2012. Currently residing in Mooresville, NC, with his boyfriend, Devon Rouse, Ryan is known for his initial quiet demeanor that warms […]
From “Uh Oh” to $10 Million Raised: Steve Gavers’ Testicular Cancer Survivor Story
In 1994, when Steve Gavers was 32, he worked a construction job, played on four softball teams, and hadn’t been to the doctor in 16 years. But then he started noticing low-level pain where his left front pocket hit. It was a nuisance, but not enough to slow him down, so he toughed it out […]
John Dougherty – PART 1 – Diagnosis
All seems good and we have a lot of options on the table. Let me do a quick physical exam before you go.”My wife and I had gone to see my urologist for some guidance on fertility. Up to this point, our attempts were unsuccessful and we weren’t entirely sure why. I was born with […]
A “New Normal” and That’s Okay
The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche described his mantra for success as amor fati -a love of fate. He further detailed it to mean, “That one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backwards, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it….but love it.”There was a moment where cancer […]
#KnowYourBalls Survivor Story – Brent Dirks
It’s a weird way to think about it but I know my cancer was not about me. What does that even mean? It means that cancer helps me help others.I’ve always been a helper. I’m the oldest son of 5 kids to a police officer and emergency room nurse. I had no chance. Public service […]
Owning my Balltrasound
When I was younger, I was terrified to put myself out into the world. The few times when I did, I had a tendency to feel uncomfortable, abdicating the narrative of my own life to people who really had no business being the storytellers.It took time, heartbreak, healing, and a healthy dose of self-confidence (both […]
Decisions, Decisions
Close your eyes and read this passage. Ha Ha! Seriously, though, read this passage:You’re driving down a two-lane road in an unfamiliar area at night. The road ends in a ‘T’ with another two-lane road. You look left, you look right. The moon is low, the stars are few; the road is dark in all […]
The Importance of Catching Testicular Cancer Early
Testicular Cancer is known to many as “the young man’s cancer.” It can strike in the midst of some of the most carefree times of life. Take a minute and think about the day-to-day stressors you faced during your high school years. I’m willing to bet that cancer, or dying from an illness, was not […]
From Now On…
From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the moon. A simple yet profound quote by astronaut Jim Lovell after Neil Armstrong’s famed first steps on the lunar surface. Lovell understood the world had fundamentally changed, as had the path of humankind. I’d like to say I know the quote […]
Zak Pendleton’s Story
There I was on May 10, 2016 in a routine physical exam. My real intention behind the appointment was just to get it out of the way so I could keep a discount on my monthly health insurance premium.During the appointment, I wondered why we even had to go through the interrogation about my health. […]