TC at 17, 4% chance to live, that WAS me.

Dave_A
Dave_A Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Testicular Cancer #1
Seventeen years old, captain of the football team, a fantastic girlfriend, and a ton of friends. I woke up one morning throwing up, passing out, and disorientated. Next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and I was looking at a bright white light. I thought I was standing at the gates of heaven. Turns out I couldn't see the rest of the room due to vision loss from a brain operation and all I saw was the light in the room. I rolled over and saw my heart monitor. I thought to myself "ok, I'm in the hospital and something bad must have happened." I watched my heart monitor beep away and then FLAT LINE. "Alright, flat line, so someone will come over and put the jumper cables on my chest." A nurse rolled me over and put the monitor patch back on my chest that had fallen off when I first rolled over. Ha Ha. My mother came over and asked if I was ok. I asked what happened and she told me that I had cancer and had had a brain operation. I asked "am I going to die?" Mom said "no." I said "I'll do whatever it takes" as a tear rolled down my right cheek. It was choreo carcinoma that spread to my lungs and brain causing a blood clot the size of an orange. My Beta-HCG count was 120,000.Mom and Dad did not tell me that I had a four percent chance to live until my last round of chemo. From word go I kept a positive attitude. Through that attitude, great friends, family, and doctors and my faith in God, I am ten years cancer free, live a happy life, and am a successful teacher.
If you need to talk to someone who knows what you are going through, email me at D_Adair75@bellsouth.net

Comments

  • schiermj
    schiermj Member Posts: 6
    Dave, that is amazing and great to hear. My sister was just diagnosed with a brain tumor, it is so early we don't even know what kind, but my whole family is freaking out. Mostly because she is the mother of four kids, twins - 11, 3 and 1. Her tumor is HUGE and inoperable at this point. Good to know someone with such small odds not only beat them but is doing fantastically well. Thanks for the great story.
  • bradtcsvr
    bradtcsvr Member Posts: 1
    Dave, that's a great survivor story. I feel ya brother. I am now 22 years old and as of November 1st I have been in remission one year. My tumor marker neared the one million mark, that's right 1,000,000. Nothing to joke about. I also had choriocarcinoma. The cancer had spread to the liver, lungs and brain through the blood stream. One year of treatment and one year in remission now. Things are going great and I am a college student in Arkansas. If you want to know more contact me through e-mail.
    Congrajulations on being a survivor!!!
    brad_tcsvr@yahoo.com