One+ Year Since My 2nd Cancer Diagnosis

I’m still going, one year after my 2nd testicular cancer diagnosis.

It is a little hard to believe it’s been a over a year since I started this blog, challenged by cancer again, helped by others once again. Sometimes I stop by and re-read what I posted, remembering everything that happened. This blog is my sick scrapbook.

I kicked around the idea of never posting here again, but I thought I should give others hope perhaps by posting annually on the anniversary of my 2nd diagnosis that I’m “still going”. In other words, there is life after cancer.

Here’s an update of my post-relapse and post-treatment related status:

• I finally shook my fatigue. That didn’t happen until late November 2009, several months longer than it should have to lose the fatigue caused by chemotherapy. I am working out again, on Wii. Whereas typical home chores used to tire me for a couple days, that is no longer the case. I finally got around to cleaning up and organizing my entire basement over the last week, moving heavy stuff, assembly, repair, and so on. The basement sat in a mess for over a year because I wasn’t capable of doing anything myself.
• Fertility? Unsure if I am sterile or not. Will be tested in April 2010. Cyrogenics lab told me they usually don’t test anyone until over a year has passed since radiation therapy or chemotherapy – because it takes your body that long to repair itself. Little confused because the cyrogenics lab told me watch out because my sperm would cause mutant babies, whereas my oncologist said I’d just be sterile. Still plan on having kids.
• Every CT scan’s & X-ray came back clean. No lumps found.
• Regarding PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder. Don’t enjoy writing about it. It’s lessoned in intensity. Via time and drugs. I don’t know if / when I will completely get rid of it. Think of it as being on guard like you were in a shady bar or 3rd world country with a fat wallet…only all of the time, and when you don’t need to be on such a high level of alert. I used to get migraines…I had to take prescription medication to get rid of the migraines…since completing chemotherapy I can solve any headache with standard store bought non-prescription medicine. Therefore I know something in my brain chemistry changed ala chemotherapy. Heck my oncologist told me it was possible.
• My promises. I’m working out. I eat a piece of fruit once a day, my diet is better. I haven’t volunteered. Shame on me for the latter. I did pick who I want to volunteer for, Michigan Humane Society. I don’t know why I’m dragging my feet I need to call.

Well, cheers, here’s to one year down.