Life After Testicular Cancer: Faith, Purpose and a New Beginning

My life hasn’t been the same since that September afternoon when I discovered a tumor in my testicle. I was to have my faith shaken. It did not disappear, but it did change.

Doubt and disbelief was followed by a bit of desperation. I made peace with all of it and discovered how a simple act of faith revealed promises when everything around me felt broken. That simple act of faith, prayer, reminded me that I was at the age of my own accountability. I needed to realize that cancer was not a deceiver but revealed to me life is worth living. Change was only a mental block, and revealed many good things in my life.

How a Cancer Diagnosis Changed My Perspective on Life

I was stuck in a rut, my sense in life was off track. It was work, eat, run and fun. No spending quality time on why my life was so chaotic. This was in a time when mental health was not a thing to be discussed. I realized what I was missing required changing my activities of daily living. Making small changes to mundane routines increased my happiness, drive, and vision. I started to pray daily and concentrate on my health and what I wanted the future to be. At the end of each day having faith in yourself and a higher power can help in clearing your mind of daily interruptions and can lead one to a joyful, healthier life.

I look at September as the beginning of a new season. Young children, high schoolers, and college students go back to learning. People working change their dress as the temperature becomes cool. Changes. That’s what I remember. However, after my testicular cancer diagnosis I knew I was tested and I didn’t like the changes happening to me. We are on earth to do what we do best. I had to figure out how to manage life to the fullest after surviving cancer. I was given a chance and through changes I managed to make life better than ever. I went back to college, cracked the books and finished my degree. That led to getting a corporate job that I had dreamed about years prior.

Finding Support During Testicular Cancer Recovery

Cancer is no lottery. It isn’t really whether you’re rich or poor, beautiful, or ugly. In each of our own way, we all can be healed. The great lottery of our life are our relatives and friends who are always there. I feel as a survivor that I have won that particular lottery. Between those who prepared me for the game of life there were doctors, nurses, and specialists all the championing for change in my new normal. During the first year after my surgery, I had a nurse her name was Maria. Maria told me time again never forget how hard you worked to get here and don’t forget your past.

Journaling and Self-Reflection After a Cancer Diagnosis

I wish I had of kept a journal those days after my cancer diagnosis. It would’ve been much easier writing now. Consider journaling yourself. You may know that your heart is easily distracted. But above all else, remember your character lives in the mirror. Look honestly into your character every day. See what you genuinely love and how you are actively pursuing it. Write it down in your journal. Ask yourself honestly what have I been doing and how can I improve myself. After my testicle removal my urologist made me think about my future so much. Dr K said, “Mr. Sluga, you know what makes a man. It is how he faces life and focuses on his control and self-understanding.”

I have come to understand my actions reveal my true character. So this month if you take anything away, just think how changing to improve your character can lead to an even better life as a survivor. After thinking and putting goals on paper my future life was looking up. I knew then if I didn’t push myself with running and pay attention to my health, maybe I never would. That was when I first started to dream about standing at a marathon starting line, and believing that I could be one among thousands who had trained to finish. I then said to my skinny twenty year old self, “I don’t have to believe in what others think of my talent.” I wouldn’t be here otherwise.

Setting New Goals and Finding Confidence After Cancer

Dr K believed in me, I reminded myself. After eight hard months of marathon training I remember a moment when I was scared to think about running my first marathon. I had just survived testicular cancer, went back to college full-time, and this was the only crisis that I thought I had. Hardly a crisis at all.

I remember a friend talking to me while we were out having a beer one night. He reminded me of everything I went through. All the scans, tests, operations, poking and prodding. “You have fortitude and gumption” he said. Then he yelled, “You are Brian blipping Sluga you don’t need to fear anymore!”

Life After Cancer: Embracing Change and Moving Forward

A cancer diagnosis was not the best thing that could have happened, but what came next was a silver lining. It taught me to never run out of new ways to get to my goals. There isn’t any set of crisis-circumstances I can’t handle. Do not fear the changes ahead. Start your journals and determine what person you are meant to be.

Good luck and good health.

Ciao Ciao!!

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