J.L. Durfey's Blog
October 2, 2013
Help me raise awareness
My husband was twenty-eight years old when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer was a word that we never expected to hear. He was too young, healthy, physically fit... too young. But we realized quickly that it was his age that put him at greatest risk. It wasn't a family history, and it wasn't from external factors -- it was his age.
After our experience, we realized just how uneducated young men are of the very cancer that targets teens and men in their early twenties to early thirties. It's a cancer that isn't spoken of or hardly heard of until it strikes. It's a cancer that comes unexpectedly, that can easily be pushed off as something else entirely, something not serious, and it's all because of the lack of awareness.
Women receive plenty of education on breast cancer, and it's drilled into our minds from a very early age. This is a very good thing and, without a doubt, has saved countless lives.
But why shouldn't men receive the same education on testicular cancer? I believe that the most dangerous aspect of this type of cancer is the early age it strikes, when young men least expect it, and know little to nothing about signs, symptoms, how to perform a self-examination, or the risk factors associated with it.
It took my husband months to get diagnosed after he noticed the first lump. It was passed off as nothing serious before we considered other things. But "cancer" never crossed our minds until he began to experience pain. It was only then that we discovered (through research) that it could be much, much worse than we ever anticipated.
By the time he was diagnosed, he had six tumors, one already moving into the lymphatic vessel. The blessing for us was the pain. Pain isn't necessarily typical, but it was the pain that prompted the first doctor's visit. If it weren't for the pain, I'm certain that the cancer would have metastasized further. And with how quickly it was already multiplying and spreading, I can't imagine what another month or two would have meant for him. It was hard enough seeing him go through the testing, the surgery, and the chemo. It's hard seeing him worry that it will come back. It's hard seeing him anxious and nervous each time he goes in for more blood work or CT scans. But it could have been worse.
Even if you are a female and believe this doesn't apply to you, think again. Consider your husbands, sons, friends, brothers. Ask them what they know about it and encourage them to educate themselves.
This month I will be raising awareness. In addition, I'll also be donating 100% of the profits (paid to me) from October sales of Tell Me I'm Dreaming to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.
Cancer was a word that we never expected to hear. He was too young, healthy, physically fit... too young. But we realized quickly that it was his age that put him at greatest risk. It wasn't a family history, and it wasn't from external factors -- it was his age.
After our experience, we realized just how uneducated young men are of the very cancer that targets teens and men in their early twenties to early thirties. It's a cancer that isn't spoken of or hardly heard of until it strikes. It's a cancer that comes unexpectedly, that can easily be pushed off as something else entirely, something not serious, and it's all because of the lack of awareness.
Women receive plenty of education on breast cancer, and it's drilled into our minds from a very early age. This is a very good thing and, without a doubt, has saved countless lives.
But why shouldn't men receive the same education on testicular cancer? I believe that the most dangerous aspect of this type of cancer is the early age it strikes, when young men least expect it, and know little to nothing about signs, symptoms, how to perform a self-examination, or the risk factors associated with it.
It took my husband months to get diagnosed after he noticed the first lump. It was passed off as nothing serious before we considered other things. But "cancer" never crossed our minds until he began to experience pain. It was only then that we discovered (through research) that it could be much, much worse than we ever anticipated.
By the time he was diagnosed, he had six tumors, one already moving into the lymphatic vessel. The blessing for us was the pain. Pain isn't necessarily typical, but it was the pain that prompted the first doctor's visit. If it weren't for the pain, I'm certain that the cancer would have metastasized further. And with how quickly it was already multiplying and spreading, I can't imagine what another month or two would have meant for him. It was hard enough seeing him go through the testing, the surgery, and the chemo. It's hard seeing him worry that it will come back. It's hard seeing him anxious and nervous each time he goes in for more blood work or CT scans. But it could have been worse.
Even if you are a female and believe this doesn't apply to you, think again. Consider your husbands, sons, friends, brothers. Ask them what they know about it and encourage them to educate themselves.
This month I will be raising awareness. In addition, I'll also be donating 100% of the profits (paid to me) from October sales of Tell Me I'm Dreaming to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.
April 11, 2013
$25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card giveaway!
For a chance to win a $25 gift card through either Amazon or Barnes & Noble, read and review Dreamer by April 26th. Each review earns you one ticket in the final drawing, so feel free to leave reviews on multiple sites (i.e. Amazon & Goodreads/ BN and Goodreads). Just post a message to my facebook wall or message me on Goodreads telling me where and when. Happy reading and good luck! P.S. You can find Dreamer through Amazon, BN, and Smashwords.
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