Dear Friends,

A couple decades ago, I found a bump on my testicle. My heart sank. Two of my closest friends have huge scars from testicular cancer. I chose to do my initial testing without telling my wife, because I didn’t want her to worry until I knew exactly what was going on. She had previously been told that she had melanoma by a dermatologist before it was tested. For weeks we went through hell worrying, all to find out that it wasn’t melanoma after all. I didn’t want her to experience that again.

I chose to confide in my college friend and teammate from Denison University, GJ. He is my age, a surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, and a bachelor. I would describe him as “not your typical bedside-mannered surgeon”…or person. Anyway, no one makes me laugh like GJ. So while I was going through some appointments, blood work, and ultrasounds, I sought advice from him.

I called GJ after my ultrasound and he could tell I was pretty amped up and concerned. He said to me, “Danny, you sound worried?” Of course I was. He continued, “You need to sit back and enjoy the process.” I replied “What the hell are you talking about?” He quickly quipped, “Danny, you’ve had more people play with your balls in the last 2 weeks than I’ve had in the last 5 years!” I just about peed my pants.😂

The laughter was just what I needed. That humor broke the cycle of fear I had been living in – I was already living as if I had cancer. It was a horrible state to be in. As soon as GJ made me laugh, it all changed. I saw the whole experience differently.  

Fortunately, I didn’t have cancer. I witness this all the time. The purgatory phase for patients that are going through testing for an ailment can be worse than actually getting the diagnosis and having a plan. Even with severe symptoms from skeletal or nerve pain, not knowing when it’s going to end can be excruciating.

I’ve noticed that the more a person can laugh at themselves when going through a health challenge, the easier the path to resolution. Fear never seems to improve outcomes. So make sure you can find moments to laugh at yourself no matter your condition, and your life will likely change for the better!

**To all readers: be sure to perform regular testicular or breast self-checks, and consult your doctor if you find anything remotely suspicious!

God Bless,

Dr. Dan