153: Ty Cedars survived stage two testicular cancer | BEP | cisplatin | beleomycin | etopicide | neuropathy

In 2021, one day away from his fortieth birthday, Ty Cedars felt pain in one of his testicles and noticed it was enlarged.  He contacted his physician, asking to be seen.  The following day, en route to a birthday celebration, Ty received a call from his doctor, requesting that Ty come right away.   The Alexandria, Louisiana-based schoolteacher soon underwent an ultrasound, then was directed to a urologist, who told Ty that he had testicular cancer.  He took the news calmly and was told by the doctor that this was a very treatable cancer, but that he would have to go on a chemotherapy regimen called BEP.  That is a cocktail consisting of cisplatin, beleomycin and etopicide.    Ty said the worst part of the regimen was severe nausea.  He vomited acid into his throat, which took away his voice.  Ty also said he was extremely weak, and that resting wasn't easy.  He could only watch television for ten to twenty minutes at a time.  Even though he had a stack of books ready to read, reading was out of the question because it was too hard to focus on the small print for much more than a paragraph.   As a singer in the local chorale, Ty found tranquility in choral music, which he accessed on YouTube.   The chemotherapy did its job and Ty was told there was no evidence of disease.  He was able to return to the classroom, can go to the gym, and his health is very close to what it was prior to his diagnosis.   However, he occasionally suffers from neuropathy, and because of the damage to his throat from the chemo regimen, his singing voice has dropped from a baritone to a bass.   Other than that, Ty Cedars is thrilled with the life he is leading.  By way of advice, he says if you notice something with your health that seems abnormal, don't take chances and see your doctor.  Because he was proactive, his cancer was detected at an early stage. Additional Resources:   Support Group:   The Testicular Cancer Society: https://www.testicularcancersociety.org